Defying Time and Reason for Love
by Rachel9
Summary: NEW Chapter! BW AU: 1882: William Stafford purchases a new desk. 2004: Buffy Summers, out of an abusive relationship, buys an antique desk. Suddenly, the two can communicate through time, falling in love with each other in in the process.
1. Chapter 1

**Defying Time and Reason for Love**

**By: **Rachel

**Disclaimer: **None of these are mine - darn!

**Summary: **Buffy/William AU: In 1882 William Stafford purchased a new desk for himself. In 2004, Buffy Summers, fresh from an abusive relationship, buys an antique desk at a garage sale. Suddenly, the two discover a way to communicate through time, falling in love with each other in the process. Is Buffy willing to risk her heart for a relationship that can never be with another man - a man who lived more than 100 years ago?

**Rating: **PG-13 so far.

**Distribution: **My sites - Sinister and Poetic Attraction, and to anyone who already has permission to my fics, go right ahead! All others, please e-mail me beforehand just so I know where it's going.

**Author's Notes: **Sections in bold signify flashbacks. Thoughts will be in italics. And a BIG thank you to my beta, Enigmaticblue - I couldn't get through this without your assistance!

**Feedback:** Sure!

Chapter 1:

September 18, 2004

Elizabeth Summers, better known as Buffy to her close friends and family, woke up that early Saturday morning with a strong and unexplainable feeling that she was going to return home with something good - something that was one-of-a-kind and couldn't be found anywhere else.

Ever since escaping from her so-called relationship with Warren Mears, she and her best friend of seven years, Willow Rosenberg, had begun a tradition of going shopping at the garage and yard sales in the nearby neighborhoods. Willow came up with the idea in order to keep Buffy's mind away from her abusive relationship of eleven months with Warren.

The two quickly began to enjoy the added time they spent together, however, and finding cheap, unique knick-knacks became just an added bonus. Since her mother's death a little over two years ago, money was much scarcer in the Summers' household, especially now that Dawn, Buffy's sister, was attending college. Although Buffy had a steady job and a decent amount of money from what was originally her mother's saving funds, she had discovered that garage sales were a great way to find the things that she needed for much less than she could afford to pay in a store.

The two friends developed a fool-proof schedule in no time - shop from 8:00 until it was almost 11:00, go back to their apartments to shower and clean up, and then arrive at Buffy's workplace, a small gallery and art studio, by noon, which is when they opened on the weekends. Buffy was the artist and Willow was the businesswoman, helping to keep track of clients, money, Buffy's projects, and other information. Without Willow's help, Buffy wouldn't have a clue what to do.

That morning at the end of September, when there was a slight chill in the air, but it was still warm enough to walk around without a heavy jacket, Buffy had high hopes of finding something exceptional. _I still need a new lamp for the living room actually, _she thought as she walked around a table with various odds-and-ends scattered around on top. The original lamp that was set on the coffee table had gotten knocked over when Warren was upset and shoved her back...

_Nope, not gonna think about that today_, Buffy told herself, shaking her head and trying to think of something happier. _That's the whole point of these little expeditions. To keep my mind off of that. _

"Hey Buffy, you find anything?" Willow asked as she approached Buffy.

Willow and Buffy had become immediate best friends on the first day of tenth grade. Along with Xander Harris, Willow's best friend since kindergarten, the three of them were inseparable. They were there for each other in both the good times and the bad, witnessing the hook ups and the eventual break ups. They hung out with each other for movies, award shows, study sessions, and above all else, they always supported one another.

Willow was a small red head, barely coming in at 5'4", but what she lacked for in height, she made up in personality. She was always thinking positively, tried to see the best in people, and would always take plenty of time to listen to a friend. Those were just a few of the qualities that Buffy loved about Willow so much.

"Not so much," Buffy said regrettably. "I was thinking about trying to find a new lamp for the living room..." her voice died off when her mind inevitably flashed back to the reason for said lamp.

Willow "tsk tsked" and shook her head. "Think happy thoughts, Buffy," she said. "Today is our happy, fun day!" She held up her findings, which already consisted of two books, three DVDs, and a vibrant, multi-colored blanket.

"Sorry, can't help it," Buffy said, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, I know it's almost been two months, and I should be over it and have moved on, but-"

"These things take time, Buff," Willow said, consoling her friend. She gave a supportive smile before continuing, "you just can't expect to wake up one day and be entirely over something like that so quickly. Like I've said before, Everyone moves on at different paces, just give it some time, you'll see."

"Thanks," Buffy responded, reaching out and giving Willow and quick squeeze on the arm.

"And hey, how is my favorite little sister?" Willow asked, eager to change the subject to something lighter and less angst-filled. "Didn't you tell me she was going to call you sometime this weekend about how school is going?"

"Dawnie? She's doing great. She's making her older sister very proud," Buffy boasted, a smile lighting up her features at the thought of her sister.

Her sister had grown into a strong, beautiful, young woman who was currently in her freshman year at UCLA. Dawn still wasn't sure what she was going to ultimately major in, but was excelling in her general education classes and well on her way to becoming a student in the top of her class. Buffy didn't have the words to explain how proud she was of her sister for doing so well, and she was forever thankful that Dawn had this chance to attend a well-known, respected college, unlike herself.

Although Buffy missed having someone at home to keep her company and do things with, she knew that this was a great opportunity for her sister. Besides, it was only a two hour drive away to UCLA, and there were always seasonal breaks. In fact, fall break was coming up in about a month. Buffy knew this because she was already counting down the days until she would get to see her sister for a few days.

"She do okay on that English research paper?" Willow asked. "I know you told me that she was having a bit of trouble finding enough research to complete it."

Buffy nodded, "Yep, she did great. Found some research at the last minute, pulled through, and got an A minus on the paper." Buffy's smile clearly showed how proud she was of Dawn.

"That's great, Buffy," Willow agreed. "Tell I say 'hi' the next time you two talk, okay?"

Buffy nodded her head before saying, "I'm not finding too much here." She wanted to change the subject before she got weepy-eyed over missing her sister. "You ready to try that place further down the road?"

Willow agreed. "Sure thing, just let me go pay for these," and with that she headed off towards the entrance of the garage, a bright smile on her face.

Buffy turned around, pushing several loose strands of blonde hair out of her eyes as she quickly gazed around the garage one more time to see if she had missed anything important. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on a dark, rectangular object in the back of the garage.

Wanting to get a better look, Buffy excused herself past a couple people standing in the aisles, approaching what she discovered was a desk. There were three drawers on the left side, each one getting a slightly bit bigger as they went down. Then, to the right of those drawers, was one longer drawer above an open area for the user's knees. She gave it a long look, noticing how the wood had chipped off in several areas, especially on the legs of the desk, which had obviously been nicked and run into several times in the past. The handles appeared to be the original ones, however - they were clearly an elegant and expensive design, with embellished and intricate loops, swirls, and patterns. Buffy could easily tell just by looking at it that the top of the desk had been worn smooth by time.

Taking another step closer, Buffy ran her hand across the surface of the wood, gasping when she felt a warm, prickling sensation across her fingertips. "What the...?" she muttered, bending her knees to look at the desk even closer.

"Do you like this desk?" a voice behind her asked. "You're the first person who has looked at it all day."

Buffy stood and quickly turned around. "Uh...well, it looks like it's in uh, somewhat fairly good condition," she half-lied.

The woman nodded before approaching the desk and standing next to Buffy. "Yes, it has been in my family for ages. Since the late 1800s."

"Wow," Buffy said, taking a closer look at the desk. _If that's really true, then this is definitely an antique, _she thought. Buffy glanced at the price tag and saw it was marked at $200. _Well, if I can get her to talk the price down some, I could always try and sell it to an actual antique store and make a small profit off of it. Xander could clean it up for me and fix those nicks, which would raise the price if I sold it._

"I'll give you $170 for it," Buffy offered, turning to look at her seller.

The woman shook her head, "No, that is too low for an antique such as this, something with so much meaning."

_Then why are you selling it? _Buffy thought, and came close to asking that aloud. "Hmm, okay. How about $180?"

Once again, the woman shook her head. "How about this? I will sell it to you for $182, and no lower."

Buffy quickly and faintly frowned, her brows tightening together for a second. _What an odd number to ask for_, she thought with curiosity. "Sure, that sounds like a deal to me," she answered, beginning to pull out her checkbook. "You will take a check for this, right?"

The woman nodded her head in affirmation, and Buffy began writing out her check.

At the time, Buffy thought nothing of it - after all, it was just an ordinary, old, and beat up desk. She decided it would be best if she kept it in her bedroom until she got a chance to clean it up a bit and add a new coat of varnish with Xander's help, then resell it to an antiques dealer.

Who would have thought that an old, $182 desk would completely change her life forever?

* * *

September 18, 1882

That morning, William Stafford stepped out of his carriage with plans to purchase a couple books and a new journal for both himself and his sister, Emily-Grace. The two Stafford siblings had an intense desire of both reading and writing. However, William's writing was usually somewhat lacking...well, everything.

It was almost two years ago to the day that he had been ridiculed in front of the woman whom he secretly admired and loved. His poetry had been taken out of his unwilling hands and read aloud at one of the many trite parties that he was forced to attend because of his rank in society. Ever since then, William wrote in bound journals, something he could keep close to him when he wanted and keep hidden when he was not inspired to write.

William approached the entrance to the bookshop, pausing a second to push his glasses further up his nose, before entering.

"Good afternoon Mr. Stafford," the bookkeeper said as William entered. "It is a pleasure to see you back so soon."

"Thank you sir, and you as well," William responded, smiling politely to the stout man. "I was wondering if you had any new books or journals in since I was here last?"

The salesman laughed and shook his head. "Not since you were in last. That was only five days ago, sir." He then took a second to think before tapping his head with his hand. "Oh, forgetful me! I was mistaken, we got in these new journals the other day."

He led William over to the other side of the store, revealing a set of black leather-bound journals with a thin red ribbon wrapped around it from front the back to keep it closed. William picked one up, taking a second to ponder why the book felt the way it did. _Why...it almost feels warm_, William thought to himself. He decided to keep that thought to himself, as he didn't want to bring any more unwanted attention to him and his family.

William picked up another one for his sister, noticing that he did not feel any sensations like he did just seconds before, and slowly nodded his head. "Yes, I believe these two will do just fine."

A few quick minutes later, William exited the shop, the two journals tightly held in his left hand. He began to call out for the carriage when something caught his eye. Across the street, in the window of a furniture store, was a gleaming writing desk in the display.

He crossed the street to take a closer look at the desk. It was obviously a new piece of furniture since the intricate, adorned handles and desk legs were of a design he and never seen before. The wood shone brightly in the sun, and the golden handles gleamed. The three drawers to the left were designed well, the bottom one being much larger than the top two.

_Oh, it's just a desk_, William told himself.

_But Emily-Grace could use a desk in her room; she has been making hints towards that for quite some time now,_ another part of William whispered. _I could give her mine and then purchase this one for myself._

The salesman inside the store noticed William standing outside and beckoned him in with a wave of his hand. Before he could stop himself and think, he entered the store, intent on finding out how much this elegant desk would cost him and if he should make the purchase.

Less than ten minutes later, the desk was his.

TBC...I would love to know what you all thought about this - subtle changes, but I feel that this chapter alone is so much better than the first time around. Please leave any and all comments!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"I cannot believe you bought a desk," Willow stated flatly as she placed her purchased items in the backseat of Buffy's Jeep. "And it's not even in good condition."

"Well, that's what having a best friend who is also a full-time carpenter comes in handy for," Buffy replied, taking another look at her jeep, trying to gauge the room in the back.

_Nope_, Buffy thought, shaking her head. _There is no way that desk is going to be able to fit into my car._

"And speaking of Xander...," Buffy began, thinking that he might be the best person to help the two girls get back to Buffy's apartment.

Buffy pulled out her cell phone and keyed down several times until she came to Xander's number in her phone book. Buffy checked the time on her watch and hoped that both he and his fiancée, Anya, would be awake by now before she pressed "send."

Ten minutes later, Buffy and Willow waved as their friend drove up the driveway in his black GMC truck.

"Here I am, to save the day," Xander Harris announced, as he hopped out of the truck. "How can I assist you two lovely ladies on this way-too-early-to-be-up-and-shopping morning?"

Buffy's other best friend had been a construction worker going on four years now. The high school student with no goals in life other than to get out of his drunken parents' basement, had become a hard-working man who had a fancy apartment in Sunnydale and a beautiful fiancée. All in all, it turned out that Xander's life wasn't too bad.

Xander had obviously just rolled out of bed. If hearing his groggy voice on her cell phone wasn't evidence enough, Buffy could tell by looking at his mismatched, wrinkled outfit that he'd grabbed the first clothing he could find. His dark brown hair was ruffled and sticking up in several sections, making Buffy wonder if he'd looked in the mirror yet.

"We need help getting something back to my place," Buffy announced.

"Buffy just bought a beat up, rickety old desk," Willow explained at the same time.

"Woah, woah," Xander calmly spoke, trying to process the fast flying words coming in his direction. "Let's take things nice and slow. I'm still waking up here."

"I just bought a desk," Buffy began. "But it won't fit into my Jeep, and-"

"Say no more," he interrupted. "So, you called in the Xan-man to help you out. It's not a problem, Buff. I'm always willing to lend a hand."

Just another reason why Xander was one of her best friends - he would do anything for the two women standing in front of him, and they all knew it.

Buffy smiled before saying, "Thank you Xander, I appreciate it."

"Sure, now where is this new piece of craftsmanship?" Xander rubbed his hands together jokingly. "I love getting my hands on some wood."

The three friends thought about that sentence for a second, wondering if anyone should say something in response to one of the many Freudian slips Xander always seemed to come up with.

"I'm sorry...it's too early for me to be having intelligent conversations," Xander remarked.

"It's 10:30," Willow retorted.

"Exactly, and before noon is still considered prime sleeping time. You should try it some time, Will."

Buffy rolled her eyes, wondering if they would ever grow out of their bantering and teasing. _I hope not._

"C'mon, guys, the desk is over here."

Buffy led them back to where she had stood not fifteen minutes ago and looked back at Xander to see his reaction.

"Woah, you weren't joking there when you said beat up, were you Will?" Xander asked, his eyes scanning the nicks in the legs and corners of the desk.

Buffy bit her lip, hoping her plans weren't destroyed and she wasn't out $182. "Do you think you can fix it?"

Xander slowly nodded, bending down to get a closer look. "Sure, just use some sanding and wood glue, and this puppy should be looking like new in a matter of no time."

"Great! Maybe we can do that some afternoon when we're both pretty free work-wise," she suggested.

"Sure, sounds fine to me...just gotta let the missus know when."

"She already got you on a ball and chain, huh?" Willow joked, knowing that Anya always liked to know what Xander was doing when and, more importantly, who with.

"We're not married yet," Xander defended, "so I'm still a free man. I do what I want."

"Sure, sure...a free man who has to call home every twenty minutes to give an update on what you're doing," Willow teased, grinning before playfully slapping his arm.

"Alright you two." Buffy stepped in, breaking the playful moment. "Let's get this back to my place so Willow and I can get ready for work."

* * *

After an exhausting fight to get the desk into the back of Xander's truck and then up the flight of stairs outside of her apartment complex, Buffy decided to leave it sitting right outside her bedroom door until she came home from work, giving her more time to figure out where she wanted to put it. She thanked Xander for helping her and sent him home to catch up on his sleep. Buffy still needed to get ready for work.

When she came home, after quickly making some dinner for herself, she walked to the end of the hallway to figure out where to move the desk.

_Okay, _she told herself. _I've got plenty of room here, let me think. I could just move the desk over there to the other side of my bed if I move my bookcase to the left a few feet. _She walked around her room with a measuring tape, trying to decide what would take up the least amount of space and still look pleasing to the eye.

Finally, Buffy decided to follow her first instinct and place the desk at the foot of her bed. She walked back out to the kitchen to grab a chair that would serve as a temporary seat for her new purchase.

"Well, this is nice," Buffy told herself as she sat down in front of the desk. "All this baby needs is a new coat of varnish, definitely some sanding here and there...nothing that Xander can't do."

Buffy gazed at the desk, noticing, for the first time, faint carvings in the bottom left hand corner of the surface. "That's weird. I didn't see that before," she said to herself, as she scooted closer to the desk to see what was carved into it.

_W. A. S. _

"Must be the previous owner," Buffy muttered. "Well, I bet that Xander can just sand that down easily. It's barely there now as it is, anyway."

Sitting in her somewhat uncomfortable chair, Buffy looked around her bedroom, noticing, not for the first time, how bare the room looked. Her thoughts began to drift, inevitably thinking back to her failed relationship with Warren. She wondered for the hundredth time if there was anything she could have done to prevent their relationship from completely falling apart.

* * *

Warren Mears was everything a girl dreamed about having. Dark, handsome looks, funny, and incredibly successful. The Mears family had established one of the nation's most powerful and wealthy industries in technology; more specifically, robotics. Warren's father had single-handedly caused great strides to be made in the area of artificial intelligence. His dream was to create human-like robots to serve as maids, babysitters, and other helpful positions in the future

Warren and Buffy first ran into each other at one of her gallery openings. She had been introducing a new series that evening, and Buffy was so nervous it would have appeared as if it were her first opening. It was, however, her first adventure into painting landscapes of the nearby area, but judging from the turnout and paintings purchased that evening, it would not be her last.

Warren had come after both reading and hearing about this petite woman whose paintings were compared to the likes of Monet. After introducing himself that evening, they were instantly captivated by each other. Warren left that night with a waterside landscape and a promise to call Buffy later that week, which he did.

However, as their relationship progressed, Buffy began noticing small things that she must have been oblivious to on their first few dates. When things didn't go his way, Warren got angry - very angry. In fact, it seemed like the smaller and less important problems made him even more upset than the larger ones.

Pretty soon, he turned his anger on Buffy. It started small - banging on tables, walls, or doors, throwing things in her direction, or shoving her away from him when she tried to comfort and support him - things like that. But eventually it escalated to the point where Buffy showed up at work one morning with the entire right side of her face swollen and bruised.

It was on that morning that Willow decided she couldn't take seeing her friend hurt anymore. She didn't understand why Buffy put up with Warren's behavior. After all, Willow had known Buffy since the beginning of high school, and she knew that her friend was a strong, independent woman. However, it seemed that over time that the strong side of Buffy had slipped away, leaving a docile, submissive woman who was terrified of her boyfriend.

"I just don't get it," Buffy sobbed, once Willow confronted her. Buffy rested her head against Willow's shoulder. "How can I let him do these things to me? Why can't I just tell him it's over...just leave him?"

"Buffy, sometimes things like this happen to women," Willow began in a soothing tone. "They try to get out, but he won't let them. They try to break it off, but then...he's normal again, all smiles and jokes, and he tries to make the woman forget she was beaten just the other night. And oftentimes? He succeeds."

"And that's just it," Buffy whispered. "He shoves me, slaps me, hits me...and then he'll come back later that evening or early the following day, and he's...he's _Warren_ again. He's the carefree, joking man that I met nine months ago. He apologizes and...and I just can't help but let it go."

Willow nodded and tightened her embrace. She had read books and researched cases like this happening to women all around the world. She knew that Buffy needed to get out of this relationship as soon as possible, or risk being emotionally damaged for the rest of her life.

And sometimes Willow wondered if it was already too late to hope that Buffy would come out of this without being damaged.

"Buffy, you need to end things with him," Willow advised.

"But if I do...if I do that, he'll just get even more upset," Buffy said, worriedly shaking her head at the thought of Warren's probable anger. "He...he won't let me, I just know it."

"But, Buffy.." Willow started.

"What should I do, Will?" Buffy asked. "Please, tell me what I need to do."

"Buffy, honey, you need to break up with him," Willow reiterated. "The sooner the better. This man needs to be out of your life for good."

Buffy shook her head, "But he's...no, I love him..."

"Do you really, Buffy?" Willow responded. She brushed the tears away from Buffy's face. "How can you love a man that beats you? That takes his anger out on _you_. The Buffy I know wouldn't have put up with that for one second."

"He loves me," Buffy whispered.

"No man who loves you would beat you," Willow stated, hoping that she was putting some sense into her friend's head.

"Oh Willow..." Fresh tears sprang up in Buffy's eyes and she lowered her head and wept.

_Warren, you bastard, _Willow thought. _What the hell have you done to her?_

* * *

After finally gathering enough courage to break up with Warren almost two months ago, Buffy felt that she had learned a valuable lesson. No matter how the person may look, talk, or act at first glance, he wasn't necessarily the real deal. Men like Warren were out there, and it was impossible to know until the relationship became more than casual. Buffy realized that there was always a chance that she could wind up hurt.

_And I won't let that ever happen again,_ Buffy silently swore, moving from the seat at her desk and lying down on the bed.

Because she would rather be alone than be hurt again.

_I'm not some stupid, naive girl anymore_, she thought. _I know that love isn't blind and that love won't conquer all - I mean, how can I think anything else? _

Although Buffy managed to get out of the relationship before things could get much worse, her friends could tell that she wasn't the same woman she had been nine months ago, before Warren. She had set emotional walls around her heart, refusing to trust another man, fearing he would break her already fragile heart.

_I just can't take that again. _

* * *

After arriving back home with his new belongings later that afternoon, William first moved his older desk into Emily-Grace's room. He then brought the new one inside his along with his sister's assistance, who was only too happy to help move the desk into her bedroom. William's new desk fit in with the rest of his room perfectly, somehow seeming to make his room appear brighter and more inviting.

William sat down in front of the desk, his eyes looking from one end to the other. Suddenly he felt an urge to carve his initials in the desk, something that would make it his forever. He stood and picked up the penknife from his dresser and went to work, carefully carving each initial clearly and elegantly.

_W. A. S. _

After carving his last initial, William looked at his handiwork and smiled. He was still unsure about what had caused this spur-of-the-moment action, but he did not regret it one bit.

William then set his mind on moving his belongings from the old desk into the new one, which would be quite simple since the desk drawers were much larger than his old one. After placing several objects on the top of the desk, he pulled open the bottom drawer and frowned when he gazed down into the bottom of the drawer.

"That's odd," he muttered to himself.

The panel of wood on the bottom was an entirely different color than the rest of the desk. It was a brown several shades lighter and the grain of the wood went against the rest of the uniform look.

_One would think that a customer would be informed of this, _William thought. _Perhaps it is just an error in this one desk._

However, upon closer inspection, he saw a slight gap between the panel of wood and the actual sides of the drawer. William picked up a letter opener from the top of the desk and slid it down the side, pushing it out and lifting up the board. The panel came up and William picked it up, a smile quickly appearing on his face.

"A false bottom, how marvelous," William said. "This is the perfect place to keep my journal." This way no one other than himself, and Emily-Grace if he wished to let her in on this secret, would be able to read his thoughts and writings.

He reached over and picked up the new journal from his bookcase, noticing how his fingertips still tingled with the mysterious warmth as he opened the cover and stared at the blank page in front of him. William had noticed earlier that the journal he gave to his sister did not make him feel like this, which led him to suspect that there must be something extraordinary about the journal he chose first.

Casting those thoughts aside, William picked up his pen, dipped it into the nearby inkwell, and began writing.

* * *

Buffy began opening the drawers, realizing that when she bought the desk she didn't even check to see what kind of condition they were in. For all she knew, the bottoms of the drawers could be completely rotted out, and Buffy would be stuck with a faulty desk. However, when she looked inside, she saw that all four desk drawers were in tip-top condition.

"This must be some desk to have lasted for over one hundred years," she told herself, as she peered into each drawer, wondering how it had managed to last this long.

The desk was made out of a dark wood, most likely either cherry or oak. She also thought that there was a stain of some type on the wood as well; however, since she had no idea what they did in 1882 to protect their furniture, she was only guessing. Surprisingly though, when she looked inside the bottom drawer, she noticed that the wood was a much lighter color.

"That's weird," she whispered to herself, wondering why a desk of this stature would have a screwed-up paint job in one drawer.

Buffy hit the bottom with her knuckles a couple of times, hearing what she assumed was the sound of something hollow. _Oh, wouldn't it just be awesome if there were wads of cash hidden in this thing? That would definitely make this purchase worth it, _Buffy thought to herself as she tried to pry up the plank of wood.

Using her fingernails, Buffy managed to pry up the piece of wood. She pulled it out of the desk drawer entirely, eager to see what was underneath.

"Well, this is interesting," she muttered, pulling out an old, black-leather journal.

Thinking back on it, what Buffy found most odd about this was after all that shoving, pushing, and moving the desk about, especially trying to get it up the stairs to her apartment earlier that morning, she should have heard something that small shifting about. The journal didn't take up the entire space below by any means, and Buffy should have heard it moving to and fro earlier that day.

_Really weird, _she thought as she sat back down in her chair, holding the journal between her hands. Opening the front page, Buffy was once again surprised to see actual writing. The script was elegant and very neat, the ink dark and surprisingly not faded out over the course of time.

_September 18, 1882_, the first entry began.

"Weird, that's today's date as well," Buffy mumbled to herself. "Well, obviously, except for the fact that it's just off by 122 years." While beginning to read the written entry, she stood up from the chair and lay down on her bed, her eyes scanning over the words written on the first page.

_September 18, 1882_

_Today I went out intending to simply purchase a writing journal for Emily-Grace and myself. However, as I gazed across the street, I found myself captivated by, of all things, a desk in the furniture store window. Before I could help myself, I purchased the desk. I gave my old desk to Emily-Grace, who was only too happy to accept it. After all, she has been requesting one from Mother for months. Things worked out splendidly then; she was thrilled to receive my old desk, and I was delighted to have a new one. I have just discovered a false bottom in the bottom drawer, and I intend to store my journal there in order to keep my thoughts and writings private._

Buffy turned the page, expecting more from this mysterious person, who was obviously W.A.S. When she discovered that the following page was blank, she quickly leafed through the rest of the journal, looking for more entries. When she found none, Buffy sat back with a puzzled look on her face.

"Huh?"

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Huh?"

Buffy lay frozen on the bed, amazed at what she just read. It seemed almost a bit unsettling and invasive to read a private entry from the person who originally owned her desk. She slowly thumbed through the next several pages one more time, wanting to be absolutely sure that she did not miss any other entries in the journal.

It shocked Buffy that this entry was written on today's month and day, but what surprised her even more was that this person had purchased the desk on the exact some say she had. It seemed to much of a coincidence.

The biggest question she now had was how had she not heard the journal shifting around in the drawer while she pushed the desk to her room?

"This is too unreal," Buffy muttered. "I mean, what are the odds?"

She turned back to her nightstand and grabbed an ink pen before flipping to the next page. After thinking about how to begin, Buffy slowly began to write about her day. She wrote several sentences explaining how her shopping with Willow went, and then moved on to quickly write about work, keeping things fairly simple.

Hey, this isn't that bad, Buffy thought, once she had finished writing down all of her thoughts.

Maybe writing in a journal would be a good way for her to work out her feelings. She would be able to say things that she couldn't say to any of her friends, even Willow. More importantly, maybe this would be a way to help her move past Warren and their failed relationship.

Maybe this is just what I need after all.

Buffy closed the journal and placed it back in the bottom of the desk, even thinking to place the false bottom back on top.

After changing for the evening and going through her nightly routine, she pulled back the sheets and climbed into bed. As she lay there trying to fall asleep, an absurd thought entered her mind - _I wonder if I'll get a response? After all, in romance novels, the girl always gets a response._

"Stupid Buffy," she whispered in the dark room. "That's impossible. It's just a stupid journal. Just goes to show me how little sleep I've gotten in the past few days." With the thought pushed out of her head, Buffy turned on her side, snuggled deeper into the sheets and shut her eyes.

* * *

The next morning, Buffy woke up to the sound of U2's newest song blaring from her clock radio. She shut off the alarm, yawning as she sat up and stretched. For the first night in many weeks, Buffy had managed to get a full night's sleep. She was used to waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares, and then would be unable to get back to sleep for hours. The feeling of a deep, full-night's sleep was something almost foreign to her.

"That's a nice feeling," she told herself. "And hopefully that won't be the last decent night's sleep either."

Buffy slowly climbed out of bed, running her fingers across the desk as she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth, turning the water on so it would warm up for her shower.

As Buffy approached her wardrobe, she paused in front of the desk, wondering if she should check the journal.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," she grumbled, bending down to open the drawer and take out the journal. She flipped to the first page, rereading over the mysterious person's entry and turned the page to look at her own. She turned another page, and then two, noticing no changes or added entries.

See? Stupid, she thought to herself.

"I can't believe I actually thought that I might actually have a..." Buffy shook her head and chuckled to herself. She put the journal back in its usual spot and continued on to her dresser, picking out an outfit to wear to work and forgetting her childish hopes.

* * *

The following morning, William awoke feeling fully refreshed, as if he had just had the best night's sleep in his life. He turned to his right and looked towards the window, seeing the sun brightly shining outside.

Several minutes later, after dressing and preparing himself for a day's outing with his mother and sister, he sat down at his desk, feeling the urge to write in his journal.

However, before he could even reach down to open the drawer, he heard his name called from beyond his bedroom door. Before William could stand, the door opened and his younger sister, Emily-Grace, flew into his room. "William!"

Emily-Grace was sixteenyears old, a beautiful young girl with curly honey-blonde" hair. Her eyes were a bright, vibrant blue, just like her brother's. She was also distinguished by her very high cheekbones, another feature that she also shared with William. Although young, she was very intelligent and shared William's interest in reading and writing with almost the same intensity, something that pleased him to no end.

"Good morning, Emmy," William greeted, opening his arms for a hug. William often called her "Emmy" when they were alone together, a nickname that had stuck when she was about ten; when she was even younger, he used to call her "nibblet."

"G'morning brother," Emily-Grace replied with a smile lighting up her beautiful features. "I wanted to thank you for the desk again. I am so pleased to finally have one of my own for my room."

William laughed at her dignified tone of voice. _Only sixteen years of age and already sounding as if she is ready to attend parties and be courted._

"You are quite welcome," William answered, pleased that he could make his sister so happy with such a simple gesture. "Now, what has you running in here so early in the morning?"

"Mother has made a change in our plans. Since it is so beautiful outside, she has decided that we should go to the park for the morning instead of afternoon," Emily-Grace explained.

William nodded, understanding that his mother really wanted to go out earlier to get as much fresh air as she possibly could before the weather became too cold to do so. His mother had been feeling under the weather recently and the doctor told them that she should get plenty of rest and fresh air while she could. However, in order to prevent Emily-Grace from worrying, their mother always disguised these trips as a simple outings to the park.

"That sounds splendid," William agreed. "Tell Mother that I will be down shortly after I gather a few belongings."

After Emily-Grace left, William took a second to select a book of poems since Mother often requested to be read to, saying that hearing his voice always soothed her. He almost went to get his journal, but decided against it at the last minute.

After all, this is the whole point of keeping it in that drawer - so no one will be able to read what I have written, William thought.

He gathered his books, put on his glasses, and headed out the doorway, reminding himself to write later when he returned home.

* * *

William's promise to write in his journal slipped his mind for the rest of the afternoon, and he wasn't reminded until he retired for the evening. Loosening his tie slightly, William sat down in his chair and opened the drawer, taking out the journal and setting it on the top of the desk.

That sensation was still there; in fact, it was stronger than ever. As William held the journal he felt _something_ there, something...dare he say, magical?

He opened the cover and flipped to the next blank page, the second page in the journal. However, when he expected to see nothing but a blank page, he instead saw...

"My word..."

The first page he recognized - it was his writing from last night, so of course he remembered it. However, what was written on the following page was most certainly _not_ his.

The script was not elegant and refined such as those he knew used. The entry couldn't have been Emmy's, since her writing looked very similar to his. It was also not his mother's; the writing was loopy, unrefined, but clearly feminine.

"How on earth can this be possible?" William whispered to himself.

The writing had to be from someone else - someone who did not live in this house, yet had entered undetected while they were gone earlier that morning. That was the most logical explanation William could think of. Although, he was a bit surprised that he could form any assumptions to begin with.

But why would someone do that just to write in my journal? William asked himself. No, that scenario was out of the question as well.

But how else could he explain it?

William took a closer look at the entry and was shocked at what he read. This entry was dated _September 18, 2004_.

"Impossible!" William gasped. 2004? That was over 100 years in the future! Even more bizarre was the fact that it was yesterday's month and day. It was impossible that this was written 122 years in the future to the very day that William wrote his entry. Nevertheless, as William sat down and began to read what was written, he found himself second guessing his original thoughts.

September 18, 2004

Dear Diary,

OK, so I'm not 12 - this isn't exactly a diary. Anyway, this is the first time I've done something like this a really, really long time - written in a journal, that is. Geez, it's probably been almost ten years since I last kept up with anything like this. But it's...calming. I feel a bit weird writing in a journal that someone else obviously started, but I figure why waste a bunch of blank pages? Keeps me from having to go out to buy a new one. And it looks like it's brand new anyway - weird.

Anyway, today was my weekly garage sale shop-a-thon with Willow. I bought a desk! Can you believe it, a desk! It was pretty beat up, kinda old, but it...well, I found this false bottom thing with this journal inside, so it can't be all that bad. I was hoping there would be cash inside, but that's just not my luck. I do sorta wonder who wrote the first entry...pretty handwriting. The desk itself is pretty nice...I'm going to have Xander clean it up a bit later on, sand it down, and make it all new again!

After that I headed into work and met Willow there. I have a commission to start creating a new landscape series. Who knew that my venture into landscapes would be so successful? Other than that, it was pretty boring today - Saturdays usually are. I think we're all gonna hang out tomorrow at The Bronze - yay! Looking forward to that!

This is actually pretty nice. Who knew that writing in a diary journal would be so calming? I can write whatever in here and it won't matter, no one will ever see it, especially Dawn since she's at school now. Maybe this is something that could help me cope with...well...

That's all for tonight!

William sat there, reading the entry over and over again in a state of complete disbelief.

This was impossible.

Not only was this written over 100 years in the future, but this person - William suspected a female person from the look of the handwriting - had bought the same desk, his desk that contained the journal, on the exact same day he had!

William was at a loss over what to do. A part of him wanted to ignore what he had seen - tear out the page, even throw away the journal and buy a new one, one that did not send tingles racing up and down his arm every time he touched it. A small part of him wanted to forget that he had ever read this.

However, another part - a much larger part of him - wanted to know more - he wanted to know everything about this mysterious person, about about the twenty-first century, if this was for real. And most importantly, he wanted to know why he felt such an overwhelming sensation of empathy as he read over the last thing she wrote - "_Maybe this is something that could help me cope with...well..."_

William turned to a fresh page and began to write. At first, he was unsure of what to say, but eventually the words began to flow from his hand with ease.

* * *

Buffy didn't arrive back at her apartment until very late that night. Even though it was the end of the weekend and they all had to be at work the following day, Willow, Xander, and Anya insisted on taking her out to the Bronze for a fun evening of dancing, music, and drinking. The four celebrated Buffy's increases in sales during the last few months at the gallery. Her popularity had increased dramatically over the last few months with her last few commissions, and Buffy now found herself constantly working on at least two major projects as well as a handful of smaller ones for her clients. Anya, especially, seemed very pleased that Buffy was so financially successful.

It was almost 2:00 in the morning when Buffy half-stumbled into her bedroom. After dropping her jacket and purse on the bed, Buffy sat down in the chair to pull off her high heels, massaging each foot for a few seconds.

"What we women do for beauty," Buffy mumbled, slurring her words slightly from the alcohol she had over the course of the evening. Although her tolerance for alcohol had definitely increased from her first fraternity party during her freshman year at UC Sunnydale - which had been a disaster!— Buffy still didn't hold her liquor very well.

She considered taking a shower to wash off the sweat and relax, but then she decided to write a bit in her journal before calling it a night. _Who knows? I bet it'll be funny to read what I wrote while being this tipsy_, Buffy told herself, bending down to pick up the journal.

She opened up to the page she wrote on last night and, seeing that there was very little room at the bottom, turned to the next page, pen in hand and ready to write.

"Oh. My. God," Buffy gasped, dropping the pen to the floor.

Suddenly, she was very sober.

Staring back at her was...well, it was writing! And not hers! It was the exact same handwriting from the entry on the first page. Even more impossible - this new passage was dated September 19, 1882, the day after the first two entries.

"But...but I checked!" Buffy stuttered. "I looked through and there weren't any other entries! This is impossible!"

But Buffy was forced to realize that things weren't as impossible as she thought they were - all the signs pointed to this being very possible, indeed. As Buffy read what was written, her eyes grew bigger and the color drained from her face.

September 19, 1882

Well, this is quite extraordinary. I opened my journal this evening with the intent on writing about visiting the park this morning with my mother and sister. However, I was shocked to discover another entry in a an unknown style on the next page in this journal. I am somewhat in a state of disbelief - the date alone was enough to make my head spin and cause me to question my sanity. 2004? Impossible!

I do not pretend to understand what is going on here, but if there is someone out there reading this in the year 2004, I suppose I should properly introduce myself, as any gentleman should. My name is William Atherton Stafford –

Buffy's eyes quickly darted up to the desk and the corner where the initials were engraved - _W. A. S_.

"Oh my god," she mumbled before going back to reading. "This can't be happening, it just can't be."

I live with my mother, Anne Maitena Stafford, and my sister, Emily-Grace, in London, England. I am twenty-four years of age. Emily Grace is sixteen, and has become a beautiful young lady who will make someone a very lucky husband one day.

I do hope I am not making a complete fool of myself when I discover I have written this to my sister or one of her friends playing a trick on me. However, if I really am writing to someone from the year 2004, may first ask who this is? And secondly, may I inquire what it is like in 2004?

Sincerely,

William Stafford

Buffy set the journal down on the desk and closed her eyes, massaging her temples with her fingertips. "This is unreal," she whispered. "I'm having a conversation, through a journal, with someone living in 1882. I am going insane."

Taking a deep breath, she read his entry over three more times. Each time she read it, the words sank in a bit more. After the third time Buffy read William's letter, it started becoming reality for her. "Maybe it's the alcohol talking here, but...I think I'm starting to believe it."

It was nearing three-o-clock in the morning, but Buffy bent down to pick up her pen from the floor and pulled off the cap. "Here's hoping I'm not going insane," Buffy told herself softly.

By the time she was finished, although still skeptical about what was going on, Buffy had written four pages front and back.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

The next morning, William rose just shortly after dawn to see if there was a new entry from his mysterious stranger in the enchanted journal.

Enchanted.

That's what it must be, William was almost certain. After all, he continuously felt that odd sensation whenever he touched the journal. And how else could the barrier of time be breached and he be able to communicate with someone living in the year 2004?

It just had to be magic; there weren't any other possibilities that made sense.

William quickly opened the journal and turned a couple pages ahead. He smiled and could barely control his excitement when he saw a response in that strange handwriting taking up not one, but several pages.

_September 21, 2004_

_Dear William,_

_Gosh this is just so bizarre, borderline insane - I'm writing this to someone, someone who lived over 100 years ago in the past. My friends are going to think I've gone completely off my rocker and commit me to the crazy house. _

Although he wasn't clear on what some of her words meant, William was certain that he felt the exact same way.

_Anyway, I suppose I should return the gesture of making an introduction. My name is Elizabeth Anne Summers, but everyone calls me Buffy - a childhood nickname that stuck. I live in Sunnydale, California - that's in the United States (I know you guys have the US all set up, but as for California, well...I kinda flunked history back in high school, so not too sure about that one). It's a small town, with only one Starbucks, one night club, and a crappy, run down, movie theater that's kinda turning into a dive. _

_As for me physically, I'm kinda short - 5'3", blonde hair, hazel/green eyes. I'm an artist; I own a studio and gallery that's doing pretty well nowadays. Also! I have a younger sister as well, Dawn, who is eighteen and in her first year of college. My mother passed away a couple years ago from some complications post-brain surgery, so...it's been rough, but we are both doing well overall. My dead-beat father left us when I was just fifteen, and Dawn was too young to really understand what was going on, so it had been just the three of us for many years. _

_Wow - I still can't believe this is really happening, definitely taking some time to sink in - that I'm communicating with a guy in the 1880s. I've either gone completely bonkers or...god, is this real? It's like bizzaro-world, Twilight Zone episode material. But I think what's caused it is this desk - I have your desk, or at least I'm pretty sure it's yours. Your initials are carved into it, and it is pretty beat up and old. _

_I'm not too sure what I should tell you about the future. Your knowledge could, like, totally screw up history and what's suppose to actually happen - sci-fi shows always have an episode or two dealing with that. Oh! Sorry, you wouldn't know what I'm talking about at all, huh? One of my best friends is a Star Trek freak...again, making references that you wouldn't know about. Just take my word for it, there's stuff that you probably shouldn't know about the immediate future. _

_But...I can say that 2004 is fast paced, and full of modern-day conveinces. And I'm not talking about those conveniences you have - like "wow! Indoor plumbing totally rocks!" but we have automobiles, television, buildings that are over 100 stories tall, cell phones, computers, the Internet (I swear, I don't think our modern day world could survive without computers and the Net), and other stuff like that. Then we have the smaller things, like central heating and air conditioning that you guys probably don't have, right? I'm not too sure what's been invented by the 1880s and what hasn't._

_So...I'm rambling. I have this really bad tendency to do that whenever I'm talking - I get the urge to just keep on a'talking, and apparently I must do that when I'm writing as well. I don't know what to believe - I don't know if I should believe this, or just...I mean, I had a thought of just throwing this journal out. Get rid of this desk quicker than you can say "I like cheese," (which I do, BTW), and move on - forget this ever happened. But...I'm too intrigued. _

_So, please, tell me more about yourself - what do you look like, what you do for a living. Are you married? I don't know how customs worked back then, but aren't most of you rich classy types married by the time you're 15 or something? _

_My hand is starting to cramp up...and now as I'm reading back over the beginning of this I'm wondering if you'll understand even half of what I just wrote, but. I'll try to work on writing more clearly...(what's happening is that I'm clearly going insane!)_

_Sincerely,_

_Buffy Summers_

William read her response over two more times, trying to figure out what she meant at certain places, and enjoying her overall tone throughout the entire read. She sounded so full of life, so vibrant, and so very much unlike other women William encountered at those dull parties he attended. As he read her entry for the final time, he could feel her enthusiasm, as if she had so many things she wanted to say and only a limited time to do so. Her thoughts were rushed and scattered about, which was refreshing in a life of monotony social convention.

Her eagerness was contagious, and William found himself hastily grabbing his pen and ink to respond.

_September 22, 1882_

_Dear Miss Summers,_

_Believe me, miss, you are not going insane. If by "crazy house" you mean an insane asylum, then if you were to be placed in there I fear I must join you as well. _

_You requested more information about myself; however, I regret to inform you that there is nothing extraordinary about me. I am five feet, ten inches tall and slender in build. My hair is a dark shade of blonde, and curly - sometimes so curly that it hangs above my eyes. My eyes are a light shade of blue. My sister is practically an exact replica of myself, both in physical features and our shared interests in authors and poets. _

_In answer to one of your questions, neither one of us are betrothed, actually. At one point in time I did have affections for a young lady, but they quickly disappeared when I was humiliated in front of her at a party. You could say that it is because of my profession that I was embarrassed in front of her. You see, Miss Summers, I am a poet. Or, for lack of better words, I tried to be a poet. However, I have since then discovered that I am not a man of words; I shall leave that to the genius of Blake, Wordsworth, Byron, and the like. Since then, I have devoted my time to my family. My father, a man whom I deeply admired and repected, passed away several years ago and I alone look out for Emmy and my mother. It has become more demanding over the last year since my mother has become ill. _

_I pray and remain hopeful, but the doctors say that she shows the early signs of consumption, a disease for which there is no known cure. I dread the day when, like yourself, I will have to carry on with only Emmy at my side. But let's not dwell on this melancholy topic any longer. _

_The future sounds a bit daunting from what you write. These "Star Trek" and "Twilight Zone" things you mentioned - are these shows you see at the theater? And buildings over 100 stories tall you say? My word, I would be thrilled to see such a sight. We do have indoor plumbing and automobiles, Miss Summers, however I doubt they are up to par with what people in the future would use, assuming technology has kept up with the passing of time. As I said, although the future does sound a bit fast, I would be thrilled to see all of these new inventions, especially to discover what "computers" and "Internets" are. And what, pray tell, does "BTW" mean?_

_I do not know why we have been granted this gift of communication, but I do hope that we will be able to take advantage of it. Aside from my mother and sister, my life has been somewhat solitary. If this is truly real, I delight in the possibility of speaking, albeit only through words, to another person who will not judge or ridicule me. Therefore, I hope by now that you believe in this. I noticed throughout your writing that you expressed serious concern over believing in me. However, I am a real person. I am William Stafford, I do live in 1882, and I really do exist. Please believe in that. Please believe me._

_Sincerely,_

_William_

* * *

The gallery and studio were closed Thursday and Friday for the yearly cleaning and fumigation, as well as having the walls repainted for the first time since Buffy had purchased the building, which meant that she was able to sleep in for two days in a row with the weekend ahead of her. Because of that, Buffy didn't wake until close to noon.

For the fifth night in a row, Buffy woke up fully refreshed from a full night's sleep. She was beginning to develop a habit of sleeping the night away like never before whenever she wrote to William. If it was magic that bound the two of them, and gave her a full night's sleep at the same time, Buffy would take full advantage of it for as long as she was able.

Over the course of the week, after discovering that William lived in England and she in California, Buffy figured out that the best time to write was at night right before she went to bed. Sometime in the night, William would wake and read her newest entry and respond by the time she got home from work.

Buffy climbed out of bed with a sense of hope. She couldn't help feeling giddy, even over something so small, but she just knew that William would already have a response written in their journal.

Funny. She had only written in the journal twice, and hadn't had it a week, and she already thought of it as _their _journal.

Flipping to the most recent entry, she was proven correct. With a smile on her face, she read his reply twice, pleased to read such an innocent and eager outlook on life.

After reading the description of his features, Buffy was able to create a somewhat blurry picture of him in her head whenever she read his writing. She could only imagine him looking up to the tops of some of the highest buildings in LA - seeing how far technology, architecture, and everything else had progressed in over 100 years, with his mouth and eyes wide in shock.

_But he never is going to see that, is he? _a voice in her mind reminded her. William lived in 1882, and she in 2004 - there was no way that would ever change.

Buffy brushed several loose strands of hair out of her face before pulling it together into a messy bun behind her head with a hair tie. Grabbing a pen from the container on top of the desk, Buffy began to write a reply.

_September 23, 2004_

_Dear William,_

_First of all, please call me Buffy. Miss Summers and Miss both sound so...formal. Of course, I guess it's also gentlemanly, which is what you are, and no complaints there...but still, please just call me Buffy. I'm just a simple 21st century gal. :)_

_And silly me! I was a bit tipsy last night and just wrote whatever thought came to mind. I sorta forgot that you wouldn't know any of our acronyms. BTW stands for "by the way." We also have things like IMHO, which is "in my humble opinion" and LOL, which means "laughing out loud." Just a bunch of slang terms that people have created, which is in large part due to the Internet. Hmm...how can I explain the Internet to you? It's a bit hard to explain verbally without being able to show you what it's like in person. You use a box - a box that is a machine, which enables you to interact with other people and read information, talk to people living in other countries, and read newspapers and magazines from anywhere in the world without ever leaving your bedroom. Today, thanks to the internet, information is available to nearly everyone no matter where you are. Does that help at all?_

_And no, those things I mentioned aren't plays. They are TV - well, television shows. Think of it like...wait, do you guys have TV? I'm gonna go with a no - so the TV is basically like plays that are recorded and then broadcast - shown - everywhere to homes whose owners have bought a TV. And there are movies that are shown on TVs, all sorts of programs, like...soap operas, very dramatic romance sagas and sooo not worth your time...sitcoms, which are situational comedies...very short, humor-concentrated shows that are just way overrated on NBC, and dramas - a lot of cop, lawyer, hospital dramas - you do have all of those professions, don't you?_

_I told you I'm an artist right? Well, I didn't have to go into work which is why I was able to write to you so early in the day. Well, -_

The doorbell rang, making Buffy jump. She had been so involved in writing to William that she had tuned out everything else.

Buffy threw on her robe and headed down the stairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez," she called out when the visitor rang the doorbell twice more.

Buffy opened the door and both she, and the person on the other side of the door, screamed.

"Dawn!"

"Buffy!"

The two sisters embraced, pressing a kiss to each other's cheek. A second later, Buffy stepped back and took a long look at her sister. "You look beautiful," she stated.

"You look...like you haven't take a shower yet," Dawn replied with a smirk.

Buffy hugged her sister once more before pulling her inside the house. "What are you doing here? Is it fall break? I thought that wasn't for another few weeks."

"And it's not. I have a friend that was driving through on her way down to...well, I forget the name of the place now, but anyway, she said I could hitch a ride since neither one of us have Friday classes," Dawn explained. "You just have to take me back Sunday afternoon, that's all."

Buffy smiled, so glad to see her sister she could barely make out words. "Well...I guess I can find time to do that," she replied. "How is your first semester going? How is your roommate - a total bitch? Making any friends? How-"

"Woah, woah, slow down there sister," Dawn interrupted, dropping her overnight canvas bag to the floor. "I'm here for almost three whole days. You have as much time as you need to interrogate me."

Buffy grinned and nodded her head. "Fine, fine. Well, your room is still the same, just make - oh!" In all the excitement, she had forgotten about her half-finished entry to William. Not wanting to leave the journal out of the desk for so long, Buffy turned back to her bedroom. "Excuse me, I need to go finish writing something...be back in a flash."

Dawn nodded and walked into the kitchen, hungry after the two-hour drive.

Meanwhile, Buffy went back down the hall and sat back down in front of her desk, picking up her pen once again.

_Sorry William, I must cut this entry short. I can't believe it! Dawnie has come back home for the weekend. What a surprise! She just got here, and I plan on spending as much time with her as I can, doing all that fun sister-bonding type stuff I've actually begun to miss. I had more to say, but it'll just have to wait until next time. _

_But in answer to your last statement...William, I believe you. I believe in this, whatever and however it may be. I believe this is happening and that I'm not ready for it to end, whatever that means. _

_I believe you. _

_Until next time,_

_Buffy_

Buffy drew a large smiley face beside her name before closing the journal and placing it inside the desk drawer.

* * *

By the time Buffy walked into the kitchen, Dawn had already grabbed bread, Mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and both the ham and turkey from the fridge. She was in the middle of making a sandwich, while stuffing bits of both meats into her mouth.

"I can't wait to get some non-college food, Buffy...you don't even understand," Dawn said excitedly. "I mean, it's great there...just kinda monotonous eating the same thing day after day."

Buffy nodded. "Completely understandable. You're making one for big sis too, right?"

"Of course. One Dawn sandwich special coming right up."

Buffy pulled out one of the barstools and sat down on the counter. "It's so great to have you home. The house hasn't felt right since you left."

"Oh c'mon, after eighteen years of little, annoying me, I'm sure you're glad to have me out of your hair," Dawn argued. "Besides, now you've got the house to yourself in case you want to bring any hot guys over and screw their brains out."

"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed, unused to hearing anything sexual come from her sister.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized sheepishly. "College teaches you bad, bad things."

Buffy grinned, unable to remain upset for long. "That's fine, I just like to live in the land of denial where you are still oblivious to all things related to sex."

A moment of silence passed between the two sisters, the sound of Dawn chopping and slicing being the only sound in the room.

"So...speaking of bringing guys over..." Dawn started; her eyes lowered as to not meet Buffy's.

"Dawn," Buffy warned, in a tone that said her sister better stop while she was ahead and trouble-free.

"Are there any guys?" Dawn quickly asked.

Buffy came close to shaking her head, but paused when William suddenly entered her mind. She stifled a giggle when she thought back to him asking what "BTW" meant. Boy, were they ever going to have language barrier problems!

"Ah ha!" the youngest Summers exclaimed. "There _is_ someone!"

"No there's not," Buffy protested. "Well..."

"C'mon, dish," Dawn pleaded.

"No, it's nothing really..." Buffy started. "I just...uh...well, we've been writing to each other. Kinda like a pen pal thing." _I guess you could say that, _she thought.

"Really? Cool!" she answered. "Well, kinda in an out of date, retro, 90's-thing-to-do sort of way, but that's great! Who is he? What's he like?"

"Well, his name is William...he lives in London, has a younger sister named Emily-Grace, blonde hair, blue eyes...likes to read and write," Buffy explained from the few correspondences the two had shared.

"That's so awesome," Dawn shrieked, happy for her sister. "Oh...British guy, huh? I bet his accent is hot."

"Well...well, I. Hmph," Buffy stammered. She hadn't thought about that before since she only read what he was saying and would never actually hear his voice.

Dawn quieted down, remembering Buffy's previous relationship all too well. "Buffy, is he a good guy?"

Buffy's face was somber, understanding what her sister was asking. But she thought back to William's elegant writing, his honesty throughout his words, and his pleading at the end of his last entry.

_I am William Stafford, I do live in 1882, and I really do exist. Please believe in that. Please believe me._

"Yeah, Dawnie. He's a good guy," Buffy whispered.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The following morning, William quickly rose and dressed as usual before walking over to his desk. He was eager, to say the very least, to read the latest response from Buffy Summers.

Buffy Summers.

She had written that her full name was Elizabeth, but as William had read her reply the other day, he knew that he could only think of her as Buffy - a strong, independent, twenty-first-century woman, not an insipid, shallow, nineteenth century sheep.

As he sat down to read her newest entry, he couldn't help but smile. Although he still did not fully understand the concept of all these modern marvels she mentioned, he was delighted to see that she at least tried. She tried to help him understand what she knew so well. She was actually eager to explain, however badly she worded things, and she wasn't condescending in her tone at all.

But it was her last little section that really made his smile glow.

_But in answer to your last statement...William, I believe you. I believe in this, whatever and however it may be. I believe this is happening and that I'm not ready for it to end, whatever that means. _

_I believe you. _

_Until next time,_

_Buffy_

She believed that this was actually happening.

Not only that, but judging from her closing, she expected him to continue writing to her. And that thought filled him with a sense of joy.

He was still smiling when he grabbed his pen and ink to begin writing his reply.

_September 24, 2005_

_Dear Buffy,_

_That is wonderful news to hear that your sister has come back home for the weekend! I completely understand you ending your entry so quickly in order to spend time with her. I know that if my sister was home for such a limited amount of time, I would feel the exact same way. It is amazing that schooling is so accessible to everyone in your time. Here, it is only the men who are academically educated. Overall, the women are expected to serve as mothers and to tend to the house, and they are given only basic knowledge to do just that. Miss Dawn should take full advantage of the privilege she has been given to attend University, although I am sure you are well aware of that. _

_I must say that your profession is unusual, or I suppose that for a man of my time, it is unique. There are few women painters in my era, and successful ones are even more rare. Female painters are trained under the guidance of their fathers, and even assist in working on their canvases sometimes, but often do not succeed on their own. I admire your courage in running your own business to support yourself._

_Of course, all of this is said with the thinking of my time, and I'm sure that many things are different in 2004, including the equality between men and women. We have always tried to have equality in my house; that is something my father wished for and taught us. Nevertheless, there are still many things that limit women in our world, which I fear that Emily-Grace has already begun to experience. _

_In response to your descriptions of television and the Internet, although I still do not fully understand your explanation, I do appreciate you taking the time to try your best. These two inventions sound oddly fascinating. I, for one, would most likely be interested in this Internet thing. It sounds both impossible and remarkable to be able to communicate with people so easily. _

_I was wondering if you are If I may be so bold - since you did ask first after all, may I inquire as to your own marital status? A young, vibrant woman such as yourself is undoubtedly married, or at the very least engaged. I apologize if my asking this is too impertinent._

_In closing, tell me more about your sister, Dawn. I do hope that your weekend together goes well._

_Sincerely,_

_William_

William put down his pen, thinking about how amazing it was that something so simple as writing to this woman could enliven his life so much. Even as he worried about supporting and protecting his family, his mother's health, and what the future would bring, writing to Buffy Summers offered him a temporary escape.

As he placed the journal back in the desk drawer, William knew he finally had something positive in his life outside of his family, and having it all to himself made it that much more important to him. Right then, he knew that he would continue to write and listen to whatever Buffy had to say as long as this magic continued.

* * *

After lunch, Buffy and Dawn quickly talked it over and decided to spend the rest of the day together and meet up with Buffy's friends tomorrow evening at the Bronze. The two went to Blockbuster to rent a few movies that they hadn't seen yet, and then splurged at the grocery store so Dawn could eat some normal food before heading back to school Sunday afternoon.

That evening, the two spread out on the couch with drinks, a huge bowl of popcorn between them, and bags of candy and other junk food on the coffee table, and watched their movies. Dawn fell asleep sometime during the third one, leaving Buffy to tidy up before calling it a night.

After waking Dawn up and helping her to bed, Buffy headed into her room and pulled out the journal, hoping that William had found some free time to respond.

She read over William's answer and smiled at his nervousness over asking about her private life.

_He's so polite_, Buffy thought as she began her reply. _I wish guys were half this polite nowadays._

_September 24, 2004_

_Dear William,_

_Before I begin I just want to say this - please don't ever feel embarrassed or afraid to ask me anything. Ask me whatever you want, and I will answer it the best I can. After all, I figure with me being as blunt as I am, I'll probably ask you things that will freak you out unintentionally. I hope that we will be able to be frank with each other and get over our nerves._

_In answer to your question, no, I am not married. I'm not even dating anyone. In the 21st century, we do things differently than what you're used to. Women can ask the men out, we generally date several different people before deciding who or whom to marry, and women can even ask the guys to marry them! That probably all sounds crazy to you, right? But it's a lot more equal between men and women these days, so we date around to see who suits us best and then get married...and then if you wind up hating each other five years later, you get a divorce - you split up and become single again. A lot of people like to do that these days._

_Dawn has long brown hair, blue eyes, and is a few inches taller than me - which she mentions as often as possible, trust me. She's eerily smart, especially when it comes to foreign languages, but - and I think I already mentioned this, she still isn't too sure about what she will major in. Luckily, you don't have to decide right away, you can wait one or two years into school these days._

_Today, she and I went shopping and rented - borrowed, movies...uh, they're like plays but are recorded so people can watch them over and over again. It's like photography, but there are so many pictures taken one second after the other, it becomes moving...hence the name moving pictures, shortened into movies. I hope that made sense. I took history of photography back in high school, but it's pretty hard to explain without knowing anything about it._

_Anyway, we came back to the house and pigged out - over-ate, a bunch of food that's not so healthy and watched movies all evening. She fell asleep during the third one, so we called it a night and now I'm up here writing to you. That's been the excitement of the day. But I really am glad that Dawn is home - I see so much of Mom in her. _

_Our Mom, Joyce Summers, was an amazing woman. She took care and supported the three of us for years after our father left. She was quiet yet had a commanding presence, and was gentle yet firm in what she said and did. I have no doubt that she is similar to your mother...they would probably get along very well if they ever met. I still miss her, but she has given so much of her wisdom to Dawn and myself that we will keep her alive in our memories forever._

_So...tell me about your family - what's your mother like? You mentioned your father earlier, but if you don't want to talk about him, that's fine. _

_Well, I'm pretty exhausted as well, so I think I will call it a night with this._

_Talk to you again soon,_

_Buffy_

* * *

True to their plans, the following night Buffy and Dawn decided to meet the gang at the Bronze at 10:00 to hang out and relax.

Buffy and Dawn walked in several minutes late, still bickering about Buffy's incredibly slow speed at getting ready when they spotted Xander and Anya sitting at a table across the dance floor.

"Hey guys!" Dawn greeted, waving at two of her closest friends. Since she was so close to her sister, whenever Buffy spent time with any of her friends, Dawn usually had tagged along. Because of that, Dawn was very close to all of Buffy's good friends. In fact, she'd had a crush on Xander for years, which ended just about the same time he announced his engagement to Anya.

"Dawnster! Hi! You're not at school!" Xander exclaimed, reaching over to give her a hug. "Why aren't you at school? You didn't get in trouble did you?"

"No, Xander. I'm just visiting for the weekend," Dawn explained, pulling out the bar-stool chair and sitting down.

"Hey Dawn," Anya said, waving back before returning to her drink.

"Anya, love the new hair color," Buffy remarked, looking over at the now-brunette.

Anya had met Xander by chance almost two years ago. Xander was visiting Willow and Buffy at the gallery one morning when Anya walked in, a fresh face in town, looking for a job. She took one look at him and he at her, and it was...well, not exactly love at first sight. At first, they simply tolerated each other. Xander listened to Anya's boring and oftentimes bizzare stories, and Anya never understood any of Xander's Star Trek, Star Wars, or Spider-man references. Buffy and Willow, however, could tell that something might be developing.

Buffy decided to hire Anya to help out at the gallery, and she quickly discovered that she had made the right decision. Anya had many new ideas in order to bring more money in, and Anya very soon wove her way into their inner circle of friends, becoming particularly close to Xander.

"Thanks, Buffy," Anya replied. "I figured it was time for a change. I was getting pretty sick of being blonde."

"Where's Willow?" Dawn asked, looking around the room for the red head.

"Oh, she couldn't make it...last minute change of plans," Xander explained. "She, uh..."

"She's too busy having orgasms with Tara," Anya blurted out.

One thing you had to get used to about Anya? Her complete lack of tact.

Xander groaned and covered his face as Buffy and Dawn laughed, more at Xander's reaction than at what Anya had said. Sometimes he thought he would never get used to his fiancée's candor.

"How are they doing?" Buffy asked as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "You know...besides that?"

"Pretty good," Xander answered. "She said that they'll both come to our next get-together."

"That's great. I'm going to go get myself a drink. Dawn?"

"Sprite, please."

Buffy stood and walked over to the bar and ordered a beer for herself and Sprite for Dawn.

When she walked back over to their table, Dawn was the only person sitting there, happily bobbing her head back and forth to the beat of the music. Xander and Anya were several feet away on the dance floor, dancing around each other and laughing.

"Having fun?" Buffy asked as she handed Dawn her drink.

"It's okay," she answered. "It's a bit slow for a Saturday night, don't you think?"

Buffy looked around. The dance floor was a bit bare, and the pool tables were unused, a rare sight for this club on the weekend evenings. "Yeah, it's a bit slow. Maybe we'll stay another hour or so?"

"Sure."

Xander and Anya walked back up to their table several minutes later. "Hey, Dawnie, how about a dance?" Xander asked.

Dawn smiled, feeling her heart jump. Okay, so maybe some of that teenage girl crush was still inside of her. "Sure, that'd be great."

Buffy smiled as she watched her sister walk away, hearing Xander ask, "So, how is school doing?"

It was nearing 11:00, and the club was slower than usual. With no performing bands or other exciting events, a lot of people must have decided to skip the Bronze this evening. Having danced all they wanted, the four decided it was time to head home.

"Good luck at school," Anya said. "Make sure to study hard and find hot guys at the same time."

"Anya!" Buffy exclaimed, not wanting Anya to be the one giving advice like that to her younger sister. "Maybe we'll all try to get together tomorrow evening, all six of us."

"That'd be great, I'll call Willow," Xander replied. "It was great seeing you, Dawn. I'm glad school is going so well for you."

"Thanks," Dawn explained.

"Well, you'll see her again in a few weeks during fall break," Buffy said, pulling out her car keys from her purse. "But we better be getting home now."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "She just wants to get home to write to her pen pal," she teased with a singsong tone of voice.

Xander chuckled. "Got yourself a writing buddy, do you there, Buffy?"

"That's so...pre-e-mail," Anya stated.

Buffy blushed and tried to act nonchalant about it. "Well..."

"His name is William, and he lives in Britain, and-"

"That's enough from you, Dawn," Buffy said, pulling her sister towards her and squeezing her arm a bit harder than necessary. "And here I was thinking Anya was the one with the big mouth."

"Thank you," Anya beamed, taking it as a compliment. "Xander likes that I have a big mouth, he says that-"

"So! About this whole pen pal thing. Sounds like fun!" Xander quickly interrupted, quickly interrupting whatever embarrassing thing Anya was about to say.

"It's no big deal," Buffy explained. "I just...we've been writing to each other for a short while now, and..."

"It's lo-ove," Dawn teased.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Please, Dawn. It's just for fun."

"Well, still...although I don't know why you like to write your letters so late at night. I'll bet you're looking forward to getting back home and writing to him," Dawn said.

And, for once, Buffy had no reply - because she couldn't deny that Dawn was right.

* * *

After saying goodnight to Dawn and changing for the evening, Buffy grabbed the journal and sat down on her bed. She flipped to where she had finished her last entry and was delighted to see a new one from William.

_September 25, 2004_

_Dear Buffy,_

_Thank you for your kindness in understanding my hesitancy in asking certain questions. I am beginning to understand that it is much easier to be informal in your time than in mine. _

_I cannot begin to imagine courting in the 21st century based upon what you have said. I fear that I would not fare very well in your time left on my own, and I know that I would most certainly not be able to handle a woman asking a man for his hand in marraige! _

_Your sister sounds like a lovely young girl. And I am so glad that you two had a lovely weekend. It's just wonderful that you two can spend a relaxing time at home with no worries or distractions. The movies that you mentioned sound splendid; I would love to see them. I hope they will be invented soon, although I'm sure they will be much less spectacular that what you are accustomed to seeing. _

_Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman. I have no doubt that our mothers would get along very well. They have many things in common from what you have said. My mother has raised Emily-Grace and myself for many years. Although, that was out of necessity, and different reasons than your own. Any man who would leave his wife does not deserve to live. I admire your mother's courage to continue on after that happened. _

_My father, Benjamin Stafford, was a powerful man, who loved my mother unconditionally. He was very understanding, but firm when it came to discipline and teachings. He was very bright and taught me many things, both academically, and in life. I feel that I am a better man thanks to him. He left us with several investments and since he came from a wealthy family, he left us financially secure, thank goodness. _

_My mother, Anne Maitena, is very much like yours. She, too, is gentle yet firm in keeping our family together. She has raised Emmy into a beautiful, polite, young woman and I know that my mother will live on in her in the years to come. _

_That is the extent of my family, which is what you asked to know about in particularly. Although 122 years separates us and we come from entirely different backgrounds, our families do not sound so different, do they? _

_Until next time,_

_William_

As Buffy read through his writing, she was pleased to see how much more relaxed he was in talking about his personal life. She could already sense a much more informal tone in his words since he knew that he was not talking to someone in 1882 that he had to impress. However, no matter how formal or informal his writing was, he was always courteous and kind in his words, something that pleased her very much.

_September 25, 2004_

_Dear William,_

_Your family sounds wonderful, so loving and caring. Thank you for describing them to me, especially your father, which I have no doubt was painful to think of. It still sometimes pains me to think of my mother, even though I try to remember only the good times. Sometimes, even though you might think medicine and technology is as good as it will ever get, it still doesn't help._

_I was at the Bronze - a night club place that plays music where young people go to hang out and relax, with Dawn, and our friends Xander and Anya, who are engaged. We got on the subject of you, thanks to Dawn blabbing everything to them. I got to thinking - this is fun. Writing to you, saying whatever I want to say, and you listening (or reading, in this case), is fun. _

_I figure we should each pick a topic to talk about - things that are typical in our era, and explain our side of it. I'm sure things are very different in 1882 than 2004, both in inventions and customs. _

_So, tell me more about 1882 traditions? What's the norm and what's taboo? As a modern gal, I'm pretty curious about what life is like back then. Tell me whatever you want, and I'll do the same. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you respond with._

_Until next time,_

_Buffy_

Buffy closed the journal and placed it in its usual spot, knowing that William would respond sometime tomorrow morning or afternoon - and she was thrilled at the very thought of it. She leaned back against the headboard and smiled. She was eager and very curious to learn more about William's world, and she could tell that William was just as curious about hers.

It was amazing. It hadn't even been a week, but her life suddenly didn't feel entirely real - after all, in the real world, women don't talk to Victorian-era gentlemen through a magical journal. However, Buffy had accepted the notion of writing back and forth with William with great ease. She didn't know how he really felt about it, but Buffy was eager to write again, read his responses, and start all over. She wanted their written communication to continue for a very long time.

And that thought both comforted and worried her.

It comforted her because she took pleasure in the notion that she could ask, say, or complain about anything, and William would listen and offer his support and kind words.

But it also worried her for that very same reason - what if she wanted more? It wouldn't be very hard to fall for someone with the impeccable manners that William displayed in his writings, but it was impossible to act upon them. Over 122 years separated the two.

What if...?

"Don't be stupid," Buffy whispered to herself. "He's just a guy who happens to live in 1882 and is your friend. Nothing more. You're just...not quite over Warren and desperate for any male attention."

Buffy rolled onto her side to settle in for the night, making a vow not to ruin her newfound friendship.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

_November 12, 2004_

_Dearest William,_

_Can you believe it has been over a month since we first began writing to each other? After the initial shock wore off - for both of us, right? - this has become my favorite part of the day. I don't think I've ever come out and said that I really do enjoy writing to you. This journal is definitely becoming filled - who would have thought such a tiny thing could bring me so much joy? And it has, William. Having you...well, here, in a sense anyway, means so very much to me. You listen to whatever I have to say and always know what to say in response. _

About six weeks had passed since Buffy and William had purchased the desk on that fateful morning, and the pages of the journal were indeed filling. Since the two had written so much to each other every day, the journal was quickly nearing the halfway mark. There was a slight twinge of fear in the back of Buffy's mind that once this journal was filled, they wouldn't be able to write each other any longer. Nevertheless, she kept those negative thoughts in the back of her mind and continued onward.

Over the course of those first few days, the two had concentrated on learning more about each other. They wrote about what foods they did and did not like, about the different fashion styles in their time, what was popular and what wasn't, and more.

As she had suggested over their first weekend of correspondences, Buffy usually had a topic for each entry. She would explain something to William that was unique for the twenty-first century, and his responses would be filled with delight, wonder, and, of course, follow up questions. Buffy had realized that she was also learning because she would have to research some of his questions on the Internet to give him an answer.

William had first been taught - to the best of Buffy's ability to explain it, that is, about music of the 21st century. She touched on everything from modern jazz and experimental music, to punk and pop. Buffy first learned how women were expected to act in the 1882, and she quickly discovered that she much preferred present day living.

Throughout the beginning of their correspondences, both Buffy and William had kept things fairly general in their questions and explanations. At first, both were a little bit nervous to make it any more personal.

However, beginning sometime in the second week of October, the two had begun to speak of things outside of their general questions. Buffy would mention her ups and downs in her day at work; William would explain his failure at the latest party or give an update on his mother's health. Slowly, but surely, while continuing their informative entries, they began progressing towards a more personal level. The two realized that it was possible to tell one another any, and every thing.

To help William better understand the things she was explaining, Buffy had often sketched whatever she was writing about. She drew a rough drawing of a busy city placed into first-point perspective. She drew a laptop and a desktop computer, pointing out what a mouse and keyboard were as well. She sketched her cell phone, a cordless phone, and even a scientific perspective street with telephone poles on both sides. Whatever modern day convenience she picked to discuss, Buffy always tried to include an image in the margin or the following page.

Although her drawings were often only quick, simple sketches, especially the computer ones, William delighted in being able to see what she was writing about. Buffy's sketches really brought the objects to life. Even after Buffy had drawn many different things, William's favorite was still her drawing of the city buildings, which appeared to almost be popping out at him. He had never seen such a thing, and the idea of a building being so tall enchanted him.

All in all, it had become a safe haven for both of them - a place where Buffy could get away from her memories of Warren and living what was often a stressful life supporting her and her sister, and where William was able to escape his everyday life and the worries that came with it.

Buffy shook her head, breaking away from memories to think of the present. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued writing.

_Dawn just left less than an hour ago - her fall break is now over, and she will be back up at UCLA until mid December. Fall breaks really are just too short. She actually asked about you yesterday. She said, "how is your pen pal, William?" in this sickeningly sweet tone of voice - my sister is just so nosy! And the she started hinting about when she would get to meet you, or at least get a chance to write to you. I had no idea what to say, so I just said I would think about it. I mean, how am I supposed to explain to her that I write to you in a magic journal? What am I going to do when she doesn't see any letters from you anywhere in the house? Because I just know she is going to snoop around over winter break to try and read what you've been writing. _

_Oh...don't bother with this, William...this is just me complaining and worrying about Dawn and I don't mean to take it out on you. I wouldn't take back our conversations for anything. I really do enjoy having my "secret pen pal" (which is what Dawn calls you) and being able to talk to you about whatever is on my mind._

_Back to happier thoughts! _

_I sold two paintings this afternoon, someone really liked my last series that I did, remember the ones with landscapes that I was talking to you about last month? Anyway, I'm going to start on a new series sometime soon...I was thinking about going back to portraits and just do something simple. I don't know...I haven't been really inspired to do anything as of late. I think I've got a good, old case of artists' block (like writer's block). Can't be good. _

_Anyway, I know I normally have something to talk about but...well, I just figured I would use this time to just ramble on and on, like I always do. Besides, I'm feeling a bit down now that Dawn has gone back up to college. _

_So I think I'm going to call it a night, I'll talk to you tomorrow._

_Take care,_

_Buffy_

* * *

_November 13, 1882_

_My dearest Buffy,_

_I am sorry to hear of your sister's departure. As I have said before, I cannot bear the thought of being separated from my dear sister, so I can only imagine what you must be going through. However, your sister is very lucky - I know, you have told me that is customary for girls to go on to University in your time, but to receive an education is something not to be taken lightly. But from what you have been telling me, Miss Dawn seems to be excelling all of her studies. And, as you said last week, before you know it, Christmas will be here and she will be home for a month. _

_Congratulations on selling your art series. I wish I could see your artwork, as I am sure it is marvelous. As for ideas regarding a new series, I believe portraits would be a splendid idea. I would imagine the human form, especially the hair and the symmetry of the eyes are very hard to paint correctly. I admire such artists who create these beautiful works of art with such ease. From what you have told me about twenty and twenty-first century art, I fear that the visual arts world will so be in a decline. _

_Regretfully, I must cut this short, as you so often say, as well. Mother has an appointment with Dr. Anders this afternoon, so the three of us must head into town within the hour. _

_I eagerly await your next message,_

_William_

* * *

Buffy arrived at her studio at 12:15, fifteen minutes later than she should have been. She rushed in with a fluster, apologetic words immediately pouring out from her mouth once she stepped through the doorway.

"I am just so sorry, Willow," Buffy apologized for the third time as she set her tote bag down on the floor beside her desk. "I'm sorry I canceled this morning on our garage and yard sale marathon. And then I...I just got distracted and...lost track of time."

Truth was, Buffy had begun to cancel her outings with Willow Saturday morning so she would have time to write to William. She canceled for the first time three weeks ago, and had yet to go on a morning outing with her best friend since then. Yes, Buffy felt horribly guilty that she was ruining her friend's plans, but her desire to write to William kept those feelings of guilt at bay.

A couple of times, she wound up becoming so wrapped up in whatever she was writing, trying to explain something so vividly so William would be able to understand it, that she lost complete track of time. Even though her entry wasn't unusually long this morning, Buffy found herself sitting in the seat and staring out through her bedroom window, wondering what he would look like in person. Before she knew it, her clock said 11:30 and Buffy had barely begun to get ready for work.

"It's okay, Buffy, really," Willow spoke, pulling Buffy away from her thoughts. "Just...let's not make an everyday habit of it, alright?"

"Thanks so much Will, you're a lifesaver," Buffy admitted.

"No problem. However," Willow began, a sly smile on her features. "I think that you being late and skipping out of our morning shop-a-thon for the third weekend in a row deserves an explanation."

Buffy's eyes widened and she stared back at her friend in shock. "Explanation? What explanation? There is no explanation."

The day after she and Dawn met up with Xander and Anya at the Bronze, Buffy had made Anya swear - upon penalty of not allowing her to work the cash register anymore, no less, to not tell anyone that she had a pen pal. Anya promised, of course, and surprisingly had been able to keep said promise.

It wasn't that Buffy didn't want Willow to know about William. After all, if anyone should know about something like this, it should have been her best girl friend, the person she told everything to. However, Buffy had a strong feeling that Willow would overanalyze her situation and either freak out that Buffy was falling into another destructive relationship or play matchmaker and try to make William into her next boyfriend.

Buffy just didn't want that to happen. For once, she wanted her conversations with William to be something just for her. Something only she knew about. And for over a month, she had been able to get away with it.

Today, however, looked like it would be the end of that.

"For you being late. You've never been late to work as long as I've known you." Willow thought back to the days where Buffy had been dating Warren. Buffy would sometimes call in sick, but Willow knew that it was just to hide the fresh bruise from Warren's hand. Willow cleared her throat and quickly corrected herself. "Well, I mean, you would either be here or you wouldn't. And you'd call...but when you were here, you were here on time. Usually early."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm sorry about being late, but it's not like it is really busy right when we open, or anything. We're lucky to have a client walk in before one o'clock."

"Buffy, it's not so much the being fifteen minutes late part as the canceling our Saturday shopping trips," Willow said. "I mean, I thought we were having a good time, and then-"

"I have a pen pal," Buffy blurted out. _Good job there, Summers_, she told herself with a silent groan.

Willow stifled a laugh. "What, are we twelve now?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, it's not like that, it's not some kiddie, stupid writing. His name is William and he lives in London."

Willow's smile slipped from her face to be replaced with one of concern as she looked at her friend's honest expression. "And how long have you two been writing?"

"A month...well, a little over a month actually," Buffy explained. She sat down in her chair and looked up at Willow. "He's a great guy, Willow. Perfect gentleman, and really nice, honestly."

"But that's what you thought about Warren at first too," Willow pointed out.

"Well, thanks a lot for your confidence," Buffy muttered, lowering her eyes at the mention of her ex-boyfriend.

"Look, I'm just trying to look out for your best interests," she explained. "I don't want to see you hurt again, Buffy." _It hasn't even been six months since Warren_, Willow thought with a frown on her face. She was worried that it was too soon for her friend to be so open to moving on, even if Buffy might think otherwise.

"I know. And I appreciate it. I do," Buffy softly replied. "I...just...Look, nothing is ever going to happen between us. We're never going to meet up or anything like that." _Because we can't,_ she added silently. _It's impossible._ If it were possible, however, Buffy would love to meet William. Nevertheless, the barrier of time separated them by over a century, and would continue to do so.

"What does William do?" Willow asked.

"He's a writer," Buffy explained, giving the same story that she gave Xander, Anya, and Dawn. "But he's been taking care of his mother a lot recently because she's sick."

"Well, tell him I say 'hi' in your next letter," Willow suggested.

"Will do, Will."

Willow grabbed a stack of papers that needed to be filed in the back room. "But Buffy? If there are any signs that he's...well, another Warren, please end it before you get hurt again."

Buffy nodded, "I will."

* * *

Several minutes after Willow left the front room, Buffy wandered back into her studio, taking out a blank 48"x32" canvas and placed it on her stand. She sat on the stool in front of it. All of her materials - paint, brushes of all sizes and types, sponges, water, were set out to her right.

Buffy thought back to her last few conversations with William, remembering that she had mentioned she was going to try portraits again. Well, since she didn't have any subjects to model, with the exception of Willow, she decided to simply play around with her paints and see what came to her mind. Of course, the first thing that came to mind was William. Buffy thought back to how he had described himself. _Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Glasses. Slender build. High cheekbones. _

"Let's see what I can come up with." Buffy whispered to herself.

She took a pencil and lightly drew out a quick sketch of a man's body from the shoulders up. She began adding rough details - eyes, a nose, a mouth, quick wisps of the pencil to place the hair, and so on.

Picking up a paintbrush, Buffy closed her eyes, thinking of the image she always thought of when she imagined William - sweet, charming, and kind. "Perfect gentleman," were the words she had told Willow, and he absolutely was.

Buffy worked in silence, her hand moving the paintbrush over the canvas quickly and confidently. She would pause to mix colors or open a new tube of paint to add to her palette, but continued working with a newfound speed that even she was somewhat surprised in. Willow came in a couple times, and even called out her name, but Buffy was concentrating so deeply that she wasn't even bothered and didn't even look up.

Almost four hours later, Buffy walked out into the main room with a large smile on her face. "Willow, come look!"

Willow stood, asking, "So I get to see what you've been working on all day?"

"Yep, all done!" Buffy explained, "I think that pesky artists' block is completely gone."

The two women walked into the studio and Willow gasped at what she saw. Looking back at her was a portrait of one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen. Sure, she wasn't interested in men anymore, but she could still recognize a handsome man when she saw him, and this was it. His hair was a bit long for her liking, with curls falling down in his face, but his eyes...

The man's eyes were bright, icy blue - as if they could pierce your soul and heart just by looking at them. His cheekbones were high, making his face appear slim and his features look even sharper. Below his face, the man wore a suit and tie, and then the canvas ended below his shoulders.

"Buffy, this is amazing," Willow whispered. "He's so...who is this?"

Buffy blushed. "No one. Well," she began to correct, "This is what I imagine William looking like when we write to one another."

Willow shook her head in disbelief. "I may be gay now, but I still know guys. No one is that gorgeous," she said. "How did you get that shade of blue for his eyes?"

"Well...a lot of mixing with whites, blues, and greens," Buffy explained. "It's weird, I tried to get that shade after I finished the painting, but...I just can't figure out how I did it. It just didn't look right anymore."

"Well, it's okay. If you were going to get that shade of blue only once, then this was the time to do it." Willow whistled, "This one is going to sell before the weekend is over."

The blonde shook her head. "No, this one I'm not going to sell. I...I just can't bring myself to sell this one."

"Man, if William looked half this good, and I weren't recently gay, of course, I'd consider myself a lucky girl," Willow teased.

The phone rang and Willow excused herself to go answer it.

Buffy took several more seconds to gaze at her portrait. _Yes, if William were even a fraction as beautiful as this...I would be very attracted to him_, she thought.

But then again, some part of her subconscious was telling her that she already was. Through his words, his explanations, and his kind and gentle nature, a feeling deep within her heart had begun to flutter, something she had not felt in a long time. Buffy tried to push it away, but every time she opened the journal, every time she saw a new entry, the feeling came back. And each time the feeling was stronger than before.

Buffy realized that whenever she thought about William she would silently be counting down the hours until she could get back home and read his newest entry. Out of her entire day, her private time with William was what she treasured most. A smile spread across her face, noticing that she had been doing that a lot recently.

_And it's because of you_, she thought, as she looked at the painting.

* * *

Buffy woke the next morning with unexpected contrasting feelings in her gut. On one hand, she was very relaxed and eager to get through her morning. After all, she knew that a message from William would be waiting for her when she got home that evening. However, for the first time she felt something other than peace - anxiety and worry. Even slight fear.

Buffy pushed those negative feelings aside and walked over to her desk, pulling out the journal. There wasn't an entry from William yet, and Buffy suspected that he was with his mother and sister, wanting to spend as much time all together as he could.

Even though he hadn't read or responded to her last entry yet, Buffy decided to add something on the next page.

_November 14, 2004_

_Dear William,_

_I've been late to work a few days recently because I get so distracted and involved in writing to you on the weekends, so I have to make this entry short, but I really wanted to write to you this morning. Willow was worried yesterday why we skipped our morning ritual of shopping, so I told her about you. Not everything, of course, just basically what I told Dawnie, Xander, and Anya a couple months ago. She is a bit worried since I don't actually see you, but I told her I was a big girl and can handle myself. _

_Anyway, I just want to say - thank you. In all of our writings back and forth to each other, I don't think I've ever said the words. (Or written them, in this case). Thank you for being such a good friend. Thank you for listening to me rant and rave...for listening to my crazy, stupid comments and pop culture references that don't make any sense to you. Every morning I find myself in a good mood. For the first time in quite a while, I am actually eager to get through the day - as long as I have something to read from you. Even though you're not here, you really help me get through the day._

_So thanks. Thank you for being such an amazing friend._

_Yours,_

_Buffy_

Buffy closed the journal and the desk drawer before she could regret and question herself about adding "yours" to the end of her writing. Before, she had always signed it "sincerely," "until next time," or "take care." This closing was new, and a bit more affectionate than she had ever written.

"Too late now," she whispered.

She rose from the chair to get ready to head into work, still feeling uneasy...as if something was wrong. She pushed those apprehensions away, telling herself that nothing could go wrong. Her paintings were going well and she was eager to start that new series. But even more importantly, William would write to her later this afternoon, and she would see it when she got back home after work. Buffy told herself that nothing could ruin her day now.

Oh, if only she had known...

TBC...

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback over the last week! I really appreciate everyone leaving their thoughts, comments, and questions and am still catching up on leaving replies. :) Thanks again!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Buffy arrived at work that morning on time, with a cup of coffee from the Expresso Pump in one hand and a box of new tempura paints in the other. Her stomach was still queasy, and her mind was feeling unsettled. The upsetting feeling from earlier that morning was still with her, and although Buffy tried as hard as she could, she was unable to let that feeling go.

"Hey, Buffy," Willow greeted when she walked into the front room.

"Hey, how are things?" Buffy asked as she placed her paints on the edge of her desk.

"Things are going very well," Willow announced. "I have some things you need to sign." She placed several sheets of papers on the desk, pointing where Buffy's signature was needed.

"Anything else?" Buffy asked.

Willow shook her head. "I just have some paperwork I need to do for a few of this month's clients. I was going to wait until you got here so you could manage the front today."

"Sure, that sounds find to me."

"Great. Just holler if you need me."

"Check," Buffy replied.

After Willow left the room, Buffy turned around to clear up her desk, noticiing several piles of scrap paper that was past time to throw away. She set to work cleaning off her desk and finished that up in several minutes. Buffy picked up the paints she had brought in from home, trying to think of a place to keep them for the time being. She turned around and bent down towards one of the filing cabinets behind her desk to store her paints until she headed into the studio with time to put them to use.

Behind her the bell rang, signaling that someone had just walked inside. "I'll be with you in one second," she called out while continuing to move things aside to make room for her paints.

"Oh, you look just fine where you are, baby."

Buffy froze, the breath suddenly gone out of her body. _Oh my god_, she thought. Her stomach clenched, her heart pounded in her chest, and she found it suddenly hard to breathe. And not for a good reason.

She slowly stood up and turned around, coming face to face with the one thing she dreaded most - Warren Mears.

Buffy swallowed, taking a deep breath before trying to speak. "What - what are...what are you doing here?"

"Can't I come see my baby when she's hard at work?" Warren asked, taking a step closer towards her.

"N-no, stay back," Buffy stammered, taking a step back and putting up her hands in defense.

"I missed you, baby," Warren said.

Buffy shook her head, taking another deep breath. "I told you, Warren. It's over."

"You don't mean that," Warren answered. He took three steps closer before Buffy could react and protest. "Look...look, Buffy, I'm-"

"If you say you're sorry for _beating_ me, I will-"

"You'll do what, Buff?" Warren crudely asked. He took a few more steps, now standing directly in front of Buffy, easily able to reach out and touch her. It made chills run up Buffy's spine at the thought of him being so close to her once again. "What could _you _possibly do to _me_?"

"Stop it," Buffy whispered, lowering her eyes from his menacing stare. "Please...just leave."

"Take me back, Buffy," Warren spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I acted like such an ass." He ran his fingers up and down her arms, rested his brow against hers. "I'm so sorry, baby."

"No Warren, I-"

"Look, I gave us a couple months for a nice break...to let things calm down a bit, and then today I knew that it was time to see each other again," Warren said. "So, what do you say? Remember how good things were with us?"

"Please..." she whispered. "I can't take this...this again." Buffy fought back tears and tried to look anywhere but his eyes.

Warren leaned in and lightly kissed Buffy, a second later forcing her mouth open with his tongue. "Baby," he whispered after he drew back. "I love you..."

"No!" Buffy said, pushing him back with her palms.

"No?"

Warren's look of concern and peace transformed within the blink of an eye, turning into something evil and angry. His hands grabbed onto Buffy's upper arms, squeezing her skin very tightly.

"What else do I have to do?" Warren growled. His fingers tightened their grip on her arms and she yelped in pain and surprise. "I beg, I ask nicely, I plead for Christ's sake! Dammit, Buffy!"

He shook her back and forth a couple times as he spoke, causing tears to freely roll down her cheeks.

"Is there a problem in here?" A stern voice called out from the doorway.

Warren stopped shaking Buffy and immediately took a step back. He released her arms and dropped his to his side, quickly deciding to put them in his pockets instead. "Willow. Eh...hey."

"I think you need to leave," Willow stated, her stare unwavering and directed right at Warren. "Right. The hell. Now."

"Buff and I were just having a little chat, right, baby?"

Buffy had fallen to the ground as Willow spoke, crossing her arms in front of her and running her fingers up and down the places where Warren had squeezed her to the point of creating bruises. Tears silently ran down her face, and she looked down to the ground, refusing to look up at Warren and ashamed to meet Willow's eyes as well. "Please. Leave," she finally whispered.

"I think you need to do what she asks," Willow said. "Right. Now."

"And if I don't?" Warren threatened, taking a step towards the red head.

"I'll just make a quick call to the police." Willow suggested. "I'm sure it wouldn't do you any good to get arrested for abuse and battery when you're just about to take over Daddy's corporation. I'm thinking that probably wouldn't look too good on your resume."

Warren sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll continue this discussion later, baby."

"Don't count on it," Willow answered for Buffy, her eyes narrowing into slits with anger reflecting in her orbs.

Once Warren had left and the door shut behind him, Willow quickly turned around and sat on the floor with Buffy. She wrapped her arms around Buffy as she cried, whispering soothing words to her best friend. "Its okay, Buffy..."

"No! No, it's not okay," Buffy sobbed, her fists hitting the ground in anger at her inability to do anything against Warren's abuse. "I was getting better. I was...I was getting over him finally." _And William was helping with that_, she silently added. "He can't just do that...how can I move on, get back to normal, if he keeps walking back into my life and trying to control me?"

"I'm so sorry," Willow whispered, not knowing what else to say. "How are your arms?"

"They hurt. Kinda sore," Buffy mumbled.

Willow slowly stood up, helping Buffy onto her feet. She hugged her friend again, wiping away the tears on her cheek with her sleeve. "Why don't you head home?"

"But..."

"But nothing. I'll stay here and call Anya. I'm sure she'll understand and come in to help out," Willow explained. "So, go home, Buffy...get some rest."

Buffy hugged Willow again, taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. "Okay, I can do that."

* * *

William came home that afternoon around 5:00 after going into town with his mother and sister. While William and Emily-Grace went into the bookstore to shop around for new books, their mother went shopping to pick up several grocery items and other necessities. While in the bookstore, William searched for a new journal to use once their first one was filled. However, he was disappointed to learn that the bookstore was sold out of the type he had bought a couple months ago.

As they had walked together, William kept a close watch on his mother. He would notice how often she coughed or seemed to be unable to breathe. And with each cough, William's worry grew. The doctor had informed them several days ago that her condition was worsening. The only medicine he could prescribe was for her to have plenty of rest and clean, fresh air to breathe. However, living in the heart of London didn't exactly provide the necessary fresh air she needed. When he had asked Buffy about consumption, she answered with only a few short words and then moved on to a new topic.

Pushing away his thoughts, William held the front door open, allowing Emily-Grace and his mother to pass him. He then he shut the door behind them before removing his jacket and slightly loosening his tie.

"If you will excuse me, ladies," he started. "I have some writing I must attend to before supper."

Anne stopped walking and turned to look at her son. These days, she often wondered just what he was writing, seeing as how he spent so much time up in his bedroom. She suspected it was possibly a novel or collection of poems, and she was curious to hear what they were about. "Just remember that we will be eating in less than thirty minutes, William."

"Of course, Mother."

"What are you writing about this time that has you so secretive?" Emily-Grace asked. "You have always allowed us to hear your poems or other thoughts in the past."

William paused, unsure of how to answer their questions withove revealing too much. "I am merely unsure of how my thoughts are progressing and do not wish to ruin my luck."

"Emily-Grace, leave your brother alone," Anne gently scolded. "Let William worry about his writing, and you can worry about your own."

"Yes, Mother," Emily-Grace replied. She hadn't meant to upset anyone, she was just genuinely curious about what his brother was writing.

"I must admit my curiosity as well, William," their mother stated with a smile on her face. "However, I know that you will let us know when you are ready."

"I will, Mother," William assured her.

He left his mother and sister downstairs in the living room as he walked up to his bedroom. How was he going to explain Buffy?

Well, the obvious answer was that he couldn't. If anyone, even his family, heard him speaking of his conversations with a woman living in 2004, he would be thought insane.

Yet, it was completely natural for him now. Writing to Buffy had become part of his daily routine, something he had managed to find time to do no matter what else was going on. The two of them had written so much to each other over the last couple of months that William was beginning to worry about what would happen when they ran out of pages. Would any journal do? Or was it that journal specificially? There were just too many questions that he did not want to think about at that moment, but he made a mental note to return to the bookstore and see if they had any new journals in their stock before the week was out.

Closing the door behind him, William immediately walked over to his - well, more like _their_, desk and opened up the bottom drawer. He sat down his his chair to read her latest entry.

As he flipped open to where he had last written, he noticed that she had actually written two entries. The second one was dated today, meaning that she must have written it that morning when she had first woken up. He felt a strange sensation deep in his chest when he thought that Buffy had wanted to write to him so badly, she did so twice.

William had never been good with women - after all, look how badly his attempts with Cecily had gone. However, with Buffy...things were different. He wasn't bound by the rules and expectations of his time, and instead, he could act in any manner he wished and say anything he chose. More importantly, Buffy seemed to appreciate that. She had commented several times that she could see change in him. She told him that he sounded more informal with his words and more "laid back," as she had put it once.

He had tried to keep his feelings at bay, understanding with complete clarity that their relationship could never be anything more than "pen pals," as she had called it. No matter what happened, they would only be able to write to one another, something that saddened William to no end.

His eyes scanned over her second entry one last time, and when he came to her closing, they froze on one word that she had written.

"_Yours_."

William felt his breath catch at seeing that word in Buffy's handwriting.

"Yours," he whispered, trying the word out for himself. "She wrote 'yours.'"

Before, Buffy had always closed her entries with such words as "sincerely," or "until next time." Today was the first day that he had ever seen her write "yours."

Could it be possible...? Did she...?

Too many thoughts were rushing through William's head all at once. He didn't know if he was overanalyizing her word choice, or if there really was something _more _there.

After all, Buffy had explained that relationships were handled differently in the twenty first century. Maybe this was her way of saying that she wanted...

Him?

Impossible, William thought. Not only was it impossible because they were separated by time, but William never would have imagined that a woman such as Buffy - someone so kind and beautiful, would have any interest in a man such as he.

November 16, 1882

Dear Buffy,

In response to your second entry, because I feel that it is the more important one of the two, I must say that there is no need to thank me, Buffy. I feel exactly the same way as you do. I, too, am thankful that we have managed to find each other and share our thoughts and information. Just as you have said, I enjoy being able to say whatever I wish and I find myself in a good mood whenever I am able to write to you.

And although there are still some words and phrases that I do not understand, you never have "stupid comments," and I find your pop culture references fascinating. Whenever you mention something it simply provides me with an opportunity to ask several questions and learn more about your culture and life in 2004. I cannot express how delighted I am to have learned so much about what is yet to come in our world.

For now, I must close this entry. I must dress for supper and join Emmy and Mother downstairs in fifteen minutes. I will respond to your first entry later this evening.

Yours truly,

William

William closed the journal and placed it back in it's usual spot. Just as Buffy had done, he had signed his entry with a new closing - very much like Buffy's, and yet slightly different. This was just so new...so very much the exact opposite of how matters would be handled today. For the past several months, William had considered their relationship being nothing more than strictly platonic - friends who could tell each other anything.

However, as he sat back in his chair and thought back to what they had just written, he couldn't help but feel that both of them had just taken a step forward. A step forward into what, William was unsure, but nevertheless, it was something major, and he could feel it, both in his mind and his heart.

Having finished that, William rose to get ready for dinner, all the time thinking of how Buffy would respond.

* * *

Buffy's drive home had been a reckless one, to say the least. Her hands had been shaking on the steering wheel, tears were running down her face once again, and she fought to hold back sobs that were threatening to be released. Nevertheless, she made it back home in twenty minutes still in one piece - physically, anyway.

She had been doing so much better in the past few months. It was over five months since she had left Warren, and with the help of friends, work, and William, she had been recovering nicely.

However, it appeared that all it took was one visit from her ex-boyfriend to set her back months.

"God...William," she whispered. Buffy had realized before today that writing to him was helping her recover her strength and self reliance.

And that was William.

William, however, knew nothing about her past relationships with other men, including Warren. She had never even written his name in their journal, vowing not to sully their time by mentioning him. What would William think if he knew how weak she really was?

She climbed out of her Jeep and headed into the apartment, only pausing to lock the door behind her before heading up the stairs and into her bedroom. Buffy lay down on the bed, pulling the comforter up to her shoulders, before turning onto her side and sobbing.

Stupid Warren, she thought. All she could think was - _I was doing so well until he came back._

, she thought. All she could think was - 

Her eyes fluttered shut, her sobs quieting, until she fell asleep.

* * *

Buffy tossed and turned for several hours. Her mind, even subconsciously, raced with memories of her relationship with Warren. Unfortunately, she remembered none of the good times, and plenty of the bad ones.

Nightmares raced throughout her mind, bits and pieces of his abuse coming into view. She just couldn't take it any more. Her last nightmare, and most vivid one, was of Warren shooting William, of all people.

Buffy jumped up in bed, crying out a loud "No!" She fully sat up, her chest heaving from her erratic breathing. "Oh God! Warren!"

She calmed somewhat and took a look at her surroundings, everything coming back to her quickly. She had come back home from work and attempted to sleep, hoping to forget that Warren had unexpectedly showed up at the gallery this morning. Unfortunately, that wasn't something Buffy expected to be forgetting anytime soon.

It was dark outside now. When Buffy looked at her alarm clock, she was surprised to see that the time was already 7:20. Buffy looked down; her arms were definitely bruised, causing fresh tears to rise at that thought. With her head in her hands, Buffy openly wept.

"They were just dreams," she whispered to herself. "Just silly nightmares."

Unfortunately, what had happened earlier today, was one hundred percent real. And she had the bruises to prove it.

Reaching over to her nightstand, Buffy turned on the lamp before rising and going to sit in front of her desk. She reached down and pulled out the journal, flipping to where they had last left off. There was a new message from William, but Buffy wasn't in the mood to read his writing, something that she hadn't felt since they first began writing to eachother.

She thumbed through the remaining blank pages, noticing how few actually remained. What would they do when the journal was filled? Would they be able to continue writing to one another in a new journal? Buffy didn't know what she would do if she was unable to write to William anymore. Aside from her support from Willow, William was the one person who kept her constantly grounded. What would happen if she was left alone in another month or two when they filled the journal?

She turned to a new page, taking the cap off the pen, and slowly began to write. Her hand was shaking at first, but she soon calmed down once the words began to flow.

November 16, 2004

My dear William,

The time has come for me to explain about my last relationship. This is the last, and most important, thing I have kept hidden from you all this time. I've kept it hidden for many reasons - trying to forget about it and move on, hoping it wouldn't affect our friendship, but most importantly, shame. Shame that you would not want to write to me anymore if you knew how weak I really am.

As you know, we do relationships differently in 2004 - no formal courting or any gentlemen-must-do-everything attitude. You date, and then maybe get married. I've explained that to you in several past entries. Well, almost a year ago, I was dating this guy - Warren Mears. He was rich, funny, smart, very popular...you name it. There was...well, he says it was instant attraction on both our parts, but later I came to doubt that was true from my side. After a few dates I was like - OK, I could really learn to like this guy. And we kept dating more and more often. But then...a few months into it, he changed.

I said that I didn't want to go out with him one night - and he suddenly pushed me across the living room. He brushed it off, saying he was stressed from work, that he would never do it again. And I believed him. I was stupid. So things carried on...only, he did it again a couple weeks later. And again. And again. Until it got to the point where he was beating me, hitting me, throwing me, when things didn't go his way.

And what did I do the entire time? I took it all. I didn't tell anyone...couldn't tell anyone, I was too ashamed to. I was supposed to be a strong, independent woman, who cared for herself, made her own money, put the food on the table, all of it. And I was being beaten, bruised regularly. My friends, Willow especially, were all becoming more worried as they saw the changes take place both emotionally and physically, but I never said a word - not until Willow finally confronted me and made me face the facts.

I finally managed to gather enough courage to end it with Warren. That was almost two months before we began writing to each other. I was starting to heal, get better...become a stronger, better me. And that was largely in thanks to you and your words. I know you say you were never a man of good words, but I disagree. Your words helped me see that there are good men out there.

I woke up this morning with a strong sense of both happiness and dread. I thought about you as I wrote this morning and realized that you always make me smile - and how wonderful it is to have that feeling back. You're actually the first guy in months that could do that - make me smile. Does that make any sense? I'm just babbling here - can't help myself. Things were going perfectly.

Warren showed up at the gallery today. Showed up this morning while I had my back turned. I heard his voice and...it was like the last few months had disappeared and I was that scared, naive, stupid girl who showed up with bruises on her arms, legs, and face. I freaked, William...couldn't do anything. If Willow hadn't been there...

So, now you know why I didn't tell you this. You write to me thinking I am some goddess, some perfect being surviving in this cruel, harsh world. But I'm not - I have flaws and this is one of them...I was weak and stupid to think a man who abuses me could love me, but...when I see him, common sense goes out the window and I just want things to work. God, I'm so ashamed. I understand if you no longer wish to write to me - hell, if I were me, I don't know if I'd want to be in contact with me either (if that made sense).

Yours,

Buffy

Buffy's tears had dripped onto the paper several times while she had been writing about her relationship with Warren. Several words were blurred from the ink running where her tears had fallen.

She placed the journal back into the desk drawer, wiping her face, and wondered in the back of her mind if she would ever hear from William again.

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

William sat down the next morning, wondering what his beautiful girl would talk about today. Although he had never seen Buffy face to face, and knew he never would, William felt for certain that she would be beautiful. Her words, her outlook on life, the way she would carelessly doodle in the margins of the journal from time to time - all of these things made her beautiful to William.

He opened their journal, flipping to where her entry should be. He noticed that it was several pages long, which pleased him to no end. He felt a surge of happiness, devotion, and a feeling of something deeper and more like love in his chest whenever there was a lengthy message from Buffy.

However, when he read the first sentence of her entry, his smile vanished. The more he read, the more upset he became. By the end of her writing, William was positively irate. Not at Buffy, of course, but at this evil man who could do something so monstrous to a young, vibrant woman.

_How could anyone do such a thing to a woman, especially someone like Buffy? _William asked himself. Even in his time, William was aware of these happenings. He had heard the rumors discussed at parties or other people passing by in town. But how on Earth could anyone do something like that to Buffy?

His anger increased as he looked down and saw splatters where the ink had blurred.

"Tears," William whispered. That bastard had upset her to the point of tears. It was more than he could handle, and he felt rage within him like never before. This was Buffy...what could possess a man to do such evils as that?

William knew that he had to respond immediately. More than ever, he wished that it was possible to give his condolences and support in person rather than just through meaningless words.

_November 17, 1882_

_My dearest Buffy,_

_What on earth could I possibly say that would be of any help? How I wish I was there to console you in person. First off, I am not mad, upset, or disappointed in you. I could never feel that way towards you, no matter what you might tell me. The only emotion I am currently feeling is anger, and that rage is directed towards this Warren Mears. Please forgive me for the language, but he sounds like a horrible man and a right git. _

_I do not understand how men can continually treat women this way. It seems as if too many things have not changed in 122 years. No matter the reason, I find no excuse to beat a woman for enjoyment or punishment. How dare he lay a finger on you! My dear Buffy, I am so sorry you had to go through this and revisit those nightmares yesterday. I would never wish pain upon you. Seeing these tear marks tears me in two. _

_I know that I have not seen you in person and that regrettably I will never see you as long as our conversations carry on, but I can tell you this. Through your writings and your voice and tone that you place into your entries, I have no doubt that you are beautiful, Buffy. You are a beautiful, strong, amazing woman, and I hope I am not too bold in writing these words. Never let any man or anyone else for that matter, tell you otherwise. You are a strong woman to make it through what you have gone through in your life, never believe anything else. Please do not allow a man such as this to take that away from you. _

_Thank you for sharing this with me. I know this must have been so difficult to explain. However, I look at your words with pride that you are so strong; I see no evidence of shame or cowardice at escaping from your abusive relationship. To tell you the truth, I always thought there was something holding you back, ever since the first entry you wrote in this journal when we were unaware of one another. I am so grateful that you felt comfortable enough with our friendship to write this to me. _

_Lastly, I need to inform you that I will always be here to listen to whatever you wish to tell me, so do not hesitate to tell me anything else. I will never judge or accuse you. I am just thankful that you trust me enough with this information. Please believe me when I say, if you ever want to talk or you ever have something you must speak of but cannot tell your other acquaintances or sister, I am always here to listen._

_Yours truly,_

_William_

William put down his pen and ran his hand through his hair. Tears were threatening to fall by the time he finished his writing. His anger had subsided as he had written, but the remnants still lingered. Any man who dare to raise a hand against Buffy was just a criminal! William had been raised in a loving household, and would never treat a woman in the way that Warren had. Why, if he were able to court Buffy...

"Who are you kidding," William whispered, as he closed the journal and thought back to her entry. "Why would a girl as independent and beautiful as that choose a foppish, naive man such as myself?"

Oh, but only if she would.

If only she could.

With all of his being, William wished that he could see the face of the woman whose words had completely captivated him. If it was possible to see her, to talk to her, and spend just one moment with her...well, it would not be enough, William was sure of that. But that one minute together was one minute they would never have. However, thanks to his correspondences with Buffy and realizing how real she was, none of these women in London interested him any longer. He knew that they were mostly vapid and superficial, and not worth his time.

But not Buffy. Never Buffy.

Her soul spoke through these pages in their journal, which was why it tore William apart to see the splotches where her tears had fallen. He felt the pain of her heart breaking as she wrote those words on paper and as she worried that William would reject her. Instead, it only made him even more proud of her - that she had managed to escape an abusive relationship and, although she was not fully healed, she was obviously trying to move on.

_If only I could be there in person to comfort her, _William thought with regret. He wished that it was possible for him to be there in person to help her cope and move on.

His door unexpectedly opened and Emily-Grace walked into his room dressed in a light blue dress with her hair pulled back away from her face. "Good morning, brother," she greeted him.

"And a good morning to you, Emmy."

"Mother says that breakfast is ready if you are ready to join us," Emily-Grace explained.

William nodded. "Certainly." He took one more look at the journal, sending out a silent prayer that Buffy would make it through the next few days with little stress, before placing it in the bottom desk drawer.

"Why are you always up here writing?" Emily-Grace asked.

"I write no more than you do, Emmy," William retorted.

"No, you are up here writing in the morning or afternoon every day," Emily-Grace argued. "Mother says that is why you occasionally skip breakfast. You would rather be up here writing."

William nodded. "Yes...well, the truth is, is that I...I am writing to a friend," he spoke slowly, deciding to finally inform Emily-Grace what he was really doing every day.

Emily-Grace's eyes widened. "Really? Who?"

"She is just a good friend. She lives in the States," William explained, remembering how Buffy had explained the way she informed her friends of him. He hoped that Emily-Grace would not ask too many questions.

"A woman?" Emily-Grace asked, here eyes growing even wider.

"Yes, and before you go jumping to any conclusions, she has recently escaped from an abusive relationship," William explained, forcing himself to remain calm and emotionless when thinking of Warren. "We are strictly friends, and nothing more."

_Is there really nothing more? _a voice in his head asked. _You would like more._

"That is awful," Emily-Grace said. "Is she alright?"

"Honestly, that is very doubtful from what she has informed me. However, I do believe that she is on her way there," William explained in a way so his younger sister could easily understand.

"William?"

"Yes?"

"Do you love this woman?" Emily-Grace asked softly.

William thought about it for a few seconds - how much did he want to risk? How much did he want to say to his younger sister? Saying it aloud would make it real.

"Yes," he firmly stated. "With all my heart."

Emily-Grace smiled and wrapped her arms around her brother. "That's just so romantic," she sighed. "And how you two are separated by water, even more romantic."

_Separated by time appears to be the bigger issue_, William dryly thought.

"What is her name?"

"Bu - Elizabeth," William stated, knowing that it would be best to give her formal name since "Buffy" was clearly not from their era. "Elizabeth Anne Summers."

Emily-Grace "ooh"ed. "That is such a beautiful name," she remarked. "Has she sent you a photograph?"

"No, she has not." Come to think of it, the two of them had never even thought of trying to see if adding things other than the journal would travel through time correctly. "All I have is her physical description."

"Which is what?"

"She has long blonde hair, hazel eyes, and is about your height. She also has a younger sister who is eighteen," William explained. "Miss Summers is an artist, and a highly admired and prized painter."

"William, I am so happy for you," Emily-Grace said. "This woman sounds much better than Cecily Addams."

William chuckled. Cecily was gone from his mind - and heart - forever, having been replaced by a blonde in Sunnydale, California, year 2004. No, he would not be thinking about Cecily Abrams any time soon.

"I quite agree with you, Emmy." His smiled lessened a bit when he spoke, "However, I doubt we will ever meet."

"Why not? I mean, ships are much safer today than they were a hundred years ago," Emily-Grace argued. "If you love her, you shouldn't let anything stop you."

"If only it were that simple." William smiled and shook his head, amazed at his sister's naiveté towards love and relationships. "Come now. You said that breakfast was ready?"

"Yes. I did."

"Then lead the way, my dear sister," William said. He turned to look back at his desk as they left his room, hoping that Buffy would find his reply and answer before the day was over.

As he entered the dining room, he saw that Anne was already seated. Emily-Grace took the seat to her right, so William decided to sit across from the two.

"Good morning, Mother," he greeting, slightly bending down to place a kiss on her cheek as he passed her chair. He gently squeezed her shoulders before walking around the table to his seat.

"William," she replied warmly. "I trust you rested well last night?"

"Yes, Mother." William took his seat and smiled at her.

"Good. I thought that we might spend the day together," Anne suggested. "Do you think you might indulge us in some of your newest poetry that you have been working on?"

"Oh, William isn't-"

"I am not quite satisfied with what I have come up with," William interrupted, cutting off his sister's words. He looked at her, trying to silently tell her to not inform Mother of his conversations with Buffy. "I would like to keep my poems private from everyone until I feel they are to my liking."

Emily-Grace glared at him for a beat, clearly wanting to let his secret out and inform their mother.

Several minutes later, their cook and maid came out with their breakfast, which consisted of ham and cheese, eggs, brioche, and croissants. The two women set the plates down on the table before walking back to the kitchen where one returned a second later with a pitcher of juice.

The family passed each plate around before setting it back in its original place, each selecting how much of whatever they wanted. As Emily-Grace cut into her ham, she announced, "William is actually corresponding with a friend in America."

William dropped his fork out of surprise, his eyes looking at his sister in a mix of anger and surprise while she innocently smiled back at him. He then turned to look at his mother.

Anne wore an amused expression on her face, somewhat surprised that William had let his younger sister in on his secret. She was somewhat less surprised that Emily-Grace had spoken up so quickly. "Oh really?"

"Yes, Mother. She lives in the states, and her name is Elizabeth Summers."

"_She_?" Anne's left eyebrow rose even higher in surprise and curiosity.

"Emmy, I think that is quite enough," William said, hoping that she wouldn't say anything else.

"Tell me about her William," his mother requested.

It appeared as though the damage had already been done. William set his knife down and looked back up. "Emily-Grace is right. I am in fact writing to a woman who lives in America. Her name is Miss Elizabeth Summers, and she is an absolutely wonderful young woman."

"How long have you been writing to Miss Summers?" Anne asked before taking a sip of her juice.

"Since the beginning of September, Mother," William answered. "As I was telling Emily-Grace, Bu - Miss Summers is a very successful and talented painter."

"She paints? That cannot be a very secure means of income," Anne remarked.

"From what Miss Summers has told me, she is often employed to paint portraits, landscapes, and so on," William explained, hoping that his mother wouldn't see Buffy as a loose woman.

"I see."

"She also has a younger sister who is eighteen. Her name is Miss Dawn Summers."

"And their parents?" Anne asked, before covering her mouth with her napkin to cough loudly.

"They are dead," William replied. Although their father was still alive, he knew not to mention that he had left them when Buffy was younger. His mother would simply not understand that divorce was so common in 2004. William did still not fully understand how men could simply abandon their wives and children.

"Oh, those poor girls," she said, the worry evident on her face.

"I am almost Dawn's age," Emily-Grace announced. "Perhaps I could write to her as well?"

William hesitated, unable to agree with her request for the obvious reason why, and also unable to decline without giving any reason why. "Well, I shall ask Miss Summers if that is agreeable with her. After all, the post is very expensive and does take very long to travel overseas."

"I do hope she says yes," Emily-Grace said. "I think it would be very interesting to learn of what life is like in the States. Is it very different from life here, William?"

William fought the urge not to chuckle. Yes, life for Buffy was indeed quite different from theirs. "All in all, I find that our lives are not so different after all," he answered.

"How do you feel about this woman, William?" Anne asked. Emily-Grace looked at him, wondering if he would answer the same way he had when they were together in his room several minutes ago.

"I - I have deep affection for Miss Summers, I will not deny it, Mother," William eventually spoke. "Although we only write to each other, I feel a very close bond with her."

"Isn't it romantic, Mother?" Emily-Grace asked. "I just think it is so lovely."

William blushed and tried to chance the topic and end this conversation. "Nevertheless, she lives in America and I, here, in London. She has her own responsibilities taking care of her sister, and I am here with you two. We have agreed to keep out relationship strictly through words and nothing more."

Anne looked at her son, noticing how his entire face lit up while he had talked about Elizabeth Summers. Whoever this woman was, she must have made an impact on him indeed. The last time he had looked this happy in regards to a woman was...well, Anne could honestly not think of a time when had looked so happy. Although he'd had affections for Cecily two years ago, he had never appeared so jubuilant when discussing her.

Could it possibly be that her son had finally found a young lady whom he might be content with? After all, that was all Anne had ever wanted for him. Her one dream was for William to be happy in whatever choices he made in his life, as with Emily-Grace.

Anne reached across the table to take her son's hand. She squeezed it tightly in reassurance. "William, although I admit to having concerns that something similar to what happened with Cecily might occur again, I am delighted to hear that you are writing to someone who sounds so charming."

"Thank you, Mother," he said, grateful that she had not said anything negative about Buffy. In fact, she almost seemed pleased that he was writing to her.

Anne and Emily-Grace asked a few more questions about Buffy, all of which William tried to answer the best he could. It was very hard to not give away anything that might make her sound like a loose woman of their time, or place her in a negative light. However, eventually their questions ended and the three went back to eating their breakfast.

After they finished their meal, William rose to return to his room. He needed to check the journal to see if Buffy had written anything in reply yet. After her emotional writing last night, he felt an intense need to keep a close eye on their journal for new entries. William would do his best to calm and reassure her through his words, no matter how good or bad they might be.

He turned to go up the staircase when he felt a hand grip his arm and stop his movement.

"Mother," he greeted when he turned around to see her. "Was there something you needed?"

"William, I did not want to say this while your sister was present at the table this morning," Anne started, clearing her throat in hopes that her coughing would cease. "But...but I will not be here forever. In fact, it is safe to say that I will not be here much longer."

"Do not say things like that, Mother," William pleaded, taking her hand off his arm and in between his hands. He could not bear the thought of living without his mother, and refused to think on it until he was forced to do so.

"We both know what the doctors have been saying," she whispered sadly, softly coughing. "Nothing can be done for it."

"Mother, please."

"Your father and I have raised both you and Emily-Grace into incredibly, honest, and fair people," Anne said. "And I..._we_, want nothing more than for both of you to be happy."

"I know, Mother," William stated. Both he and Emily-Grace had been raised in a slightly more liberal way of thinking than many of their contemporaries. He was thankful that he had gained a more balanced view of the world through the example his parents had set.

"I just want you to be happy, William," Anne said, tears welling in her eyes.

"I am happy. Emily-Grace and you continually make me happy."

"And yet, when you spoke of Miss Elizabeth Summers at the breakfast table not twenty minutes ago, I saw your eyes light up like never before."

"Mother, I..."

She smiled. "See? Even you cannot deny it." Anne placed her palm against his cheek, looking up into eyes that reminded her so of his father. "William, if this woman is the one, if she is the one that makes you happy..."

"Mother, as much as it pleases me to hear you say this, I could not possibly leave you and Emily-Grace," William said. He couldn't leave at all, seeing as how Buffy didn't really exist in his time.

"I knew you were going to say that," Anne responded, pausing to cough into her hankerchief once again. "However, William, all I ask is that you think upon it. One day, after I am gone and Emily-Grace is married, you do not want to find yourself alone with no one to turn to. If Miss Summers is worth the fight, then so be it."

William did not know what to say. His mother had all but directly given her blessing to court Buffy. Oh, if only it was possible, he thought. I would cross the ocean again and again if it meant I would end up near her. "Thank you, Mother," he replied. "I will think upon what you have said. However, I do not expect to take action any time soon, not while I still have you and Emmy to care for."

Anne gently kissed his cheek before stepping away from him. "No, thank you, my dear William. I've never been so proud to have you as my son."

* * *

_Lastly, I need to inform you that I will always be here to listen to whatever you feel telling me, so do not hesitate to tell me anything else. I will never judge or accuse you. I am just thankful that you trust me enough with this information. Please believe me when I say, if you ever want to talk or you ever have something you must speak of but cannot tell your other acquaintances or sister, I am always here to listen._

Buffy read the last paragraph that William had written four times, tears filling her eyes and finally spilling over as she read his reply for the final time.

"Oh William," she sobbed. "You say that you are no man of words, and yet you can always know the perfect thing to say to me."

She had read his entry for the first time before she went to work that morning, and it had moved her to tears then as well. Now, hours later, his words were still making an impact on her emotionally.

"If only you could just tell me this in person," Buffy whispered. "If only you could be here to hold me, to just give me strength from your simply being here."

But, of course, that was impossible.

That was something Buffy was forced to remind herself every other day - having William in her life was simply not possible. More than one hundred years separated them, and there was nothing they could do to change that.

Over the course of the past several months, Buffy had begun to slowly open her heart to him. William's innocence and his naive and eager look at the world through her eyes and explanations were refreshing. She marveled at how he lived each and every day like it was a gift, how he treasured every moment with his family, and most importantly, how he dedicated himself to being a good man, with no pride or ego - just a loving, caring man.

She didn't want to analyze her feelings too much, or even utter them aloud. Saying the words out loud or thinking on it too much would make it real, and there was no way to go back after an unconscious possibility became reality. However, Buffy was caving in to his unconscious charms and personality.

And Buffy knew that sometime between their first correspondence in September and today's latest entry, she had begun to fall in love with him. She was still afraid to fully give her heart to another man, and of course a relationship of any kind with William was impossible, but she could not help her feelings. And all of her feelings were telling her that William was the one.

William had showed her that there truly were some good men in the world. He had proven that not every man was like Warren and her loveless boyfriends back in high school and college. No, men who cared and loved with all of their soul really did exist.

It just figured they were all living in 1882!

TBC...

And thank you, again, for the lovely feedback for the last chapter! I'm so glad that everyone seems to be enjoying this story so much - your kind words keep me writing. And as always, I would LOVE to know what you thought of this last chapter - so you know the drill: Review:) Thanks!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Christmas was quickly approaching, and although the weather remained around a warm 70 degrees, the Christmas spirit was definitely in the air. Buffy was thankful for having the distraction of shopping and preparing for the holiday, as it kept her mind away from Warren and William. With December 25th just over two weeks away, Buffy knew that she would have to brave the overcrowded malls to find gifts for her friends and family.

Buffy rushed home that evening with several shopping bags in both of her hands, eager to get inside and see if a new entry from William awaited her.

Although her main intention had been to shop for others tonight, she had managed to get slightly off track and shop for herself as well. She splurged and purchased some new clothes for herself, including a new nightgown, a couple of sweaters, and lingerie. _A girl can never have too much of that stuff_, she had thought when she purchased them. Buffy figured that she deserved to spend a little bit on herself after her last series had sold so quickly.

After her run-in with Warren that day, Buffy had taken a few days off from work to pull herself together. During those days, she had turned to William and the two wrote sometimes twice a day, before she had returned to work as a somewhat back-to-normal-Buffy. She smiled, laughed, and joked, but kept an eye out for Warren the entire time, worried that he would show up at the worst time possible, like he always did.

Now, with everything that was going on and Christmas being exactly fifteen days from now, Buffy had many things to keep her occupied. Most importantly, Dawn would be home in one more week. Buffy could hardly wait to have her home for four entire weeks.

The gallery was also doing better than ever, which kept Buffy quite busy at work these days. Her last series of portraits had sold out over the last couple weeks of November. Buffy had immediately begun a new series. While she worked, she had kept everything a secret from her clients and friends, Willow as the sole exception. Her friend had happened to walk into the studio while Buffy was in the middle of painting.

Picking out the house key from her key-chain, Buffy shifted all of her bags into one hand as she unlocked the door. Once inside, she dropped all the bags to the floor, closed and locked the door behind her, and turned to walk down the hallway.

"I hope he got a chance to write back," Buffy prayed as she sat down in front of her desk.

A second later, her prayers were answered.

_December 10, 1882_

_My Dearest Buffy,_

_Christmas time is drawing near and filling our house with joy and excitement. Emily-Grace grows a bit more anxious each passing day, and her joy is infectious. She has been pestering both myself and our cook to help her in creating the perfect gingerbread house as well as various other holiday deserts. _

_As for presents, Emmy keeps asking for a toy theater, which have become quite the craze for young girls this season. Mother gave me a little bit extra to go to town this afternoon to purchase the best wooden stage, character sheets, and scenery I could find. After all, Emmy deserves the best Christmas possible this year._

_You asked how my mother was doing in your last entry. Regretfully, I must say that Mother's illness has been growing worse with each day as the cold weather does not agree with her one bit. I fear that this may very well be the last Christmas the three of us share together. Therefore, I plan on making this the most joyful Christmas the three of us have ever had. From the handmade decorations and Christmas Eve feast Emily-Grace is planning, I am certain that it will be. _

_As I was in town shopping for my sister's Christmas present this afternoon, I found myself suddenly shopping for you instead. However, I am almost certain that the gifts we have in 1882 are primitive when compared to what you could buy in 2004. Nevertheless, how I wish I could send a gift to you this Christmas and watch your face light up as you opened it. That would fill me with such happiness, something as simple as watching you open a gift, Buffy. However, all I can give you are my words, if you will take that. _

_I did stop into the Book Shop while I was shopping for Emily-Grace's present this afternoon. I asked the bookkeeper if he had any more journals like ours in his stock. Unfortunately, he said that he thought they would no longer be carrying those journals for whatever reason. I fear that with the pages in our journal growing fewer each day, we must look for a new journal all together, since your idea of purchasing an identical journal will not work. _

_Unfortunately, I must now end this entry, or, as you so often say, 'cut this one short.' We are setting up decorations around the house. Mother is watching Emily-Grace run around like a mad woman, insisting that all of her decorations look perfect. Now she is demanding that I help her reach the top of the doorway downstairs to hang the garlands and wreath. Why the girl cannot simply get a chair to stand on is beyond me._

_Take care, my heart,_

_William_

Buffy sighed and leaned back into her chair, his words washing over her and calming her frazzled nerves instantly.

She loved how William tried to use the slang words and phrases that she used in her own entries. That change was all because of her and Buffy took joy in seeing how much more relaxed and informal he was now when compared to his first few messages.

Everything he wrote made her smile or laugh, as she tried to picture what he wrote about. Now that Christmas was approaching, she was learning so much about how families celebrated the holiday in 1882. The way William explained things, it sounded as if the three of them would have a wonderful Christmas together.

However, Buffy couldn't help but worry for their mother, especially with the holiday approaching. Unfortunately, she too shared William's suspicions that this might be the last holiday the three shared. Buffy had researched consumption, or TB as it was now known in 2004, on the Internet and discovered that there was next to nothing that could be done the cure it in 1882 since doctors lacked the necessary medicines and techniques to cure this disease. Buffy had been continuously praying that Anne would recover, however, for she feared that her death would absolutely tear William and Emily-Grace apart.

She, too, wished that she could give something to William for the holiday. After all, he had helped her get through so much with Warren a month ago. His words and strength had helped her keep moving day after day, and she found that she had nothing to give to him in return. For several minutes while she had been walking around the mall earlier that evening, Buffy couldn't help but look at something and ask herself, _would William like this?_ While she had been shopping for herself, she looked at several different sweaters and skirts and wondered, _would William like me in this?_

Yeah, as Dawn would say, she had it bad. Very bad.

But what else could she do but keep writing? At the rate they had been writing, one of them would have to purchase a new journal before the year was out. In her last entry, Buffy had suggested that William go back to the bookstore again and look for a journal identical to he one they wrote in. At the same time, she would stop in at Barnes and Noble to look at the journals they sold just in case he was unsuccessful.

She had finally decided on a dark brown leather journal with a brown ribbon bookmark attached inside as well as a place to hold a pen on the back cover. She decided that she would surprise him with this Christmas morning, and she would include a pen as well. She couldn't wait to see what William thought of ballpoint pens for the first time. Buffy just hoped that the new journal and ink pen would cross through time and arrive in 1882 successfully.

"Never thought I would be thinking that," Buffy said to herself. It was amazing how quickly things could change. Just over three months ago, the idea of time travel had seemed impossible and ridiculous; now, she wasn't sure if she would be able to get through the day without reading an entry from William.

Buffy looked down and noticed that William had written a new ending line. _My heart_.

"_My heart_," Buffy whispered, feeling a warm sensation run through her at the thought of meaning so much to him.

Ever since an entry that William had written back in mid-November, Buffy had suspected that his feelings had progressed past the point of mere friendship. With each entry, he found some small way of showing how much he truly cared for her. Usually, it was a small compliment slipped in his writing; however, this time, it was his new farewell.

Buffy, on the other hand, wasn't brave enough to write how she felt about him in words. Although she harbored feelings for William deep in her heart, that is where they remained. She didn't have the courage to express them on paper. Even though the logical part of her mind told herself it was ridiculous to think so, another part of her was filled with a slight twinge of fear that she would be rejected, laughed at, or ignored - something else she had Warren to thank for. Buffy just wasn't willing to take the risk since she knew, and Buffy knew that she couldn't handle rejection coming from William.

_December 11, 2004_

_Dearest William,_

_Yes, Christmas is getting closer each day and all my friends and I are starting to get very excited! Willow and Tara, Xander and Anya, and I are all starting to decorate our apartments, and I finally started my Christmas shopping tonight. I bought some gifts for a few of my friends, but am having problems finding something for Dawn._

_Dawn is coming home in exactly a week, and I can't wait to have her back home for four whole weeks to bring some life into this place. Actually, it'll be only three weeks since she is going skiing with some friends for five days in Aspen, Colorado - but I am glad to have her home for as long as I can. Anyway, we'll probably go get a Christmas tree the day she gets back home and decorate it with handmade ornaments that evening. We have this big tradition of baking dozens upon dozens of cookies and giving them out to all of our friends. And then on Christmas day we always go and see a movie with the gang. _

_Christmas has never been the same without mom, that's to be expected, but we make do. It was really hard our first year - Dawn didn't want to do anything b/c everything reminded her of Mom, and I went overboard trying to do everything perfectly because I thought that she and I would want to be reminded of everything Mom did for us. Finally, after a long, loud - which is very typical of us - Summers argument, we decided to start over just the two of us and create some good traditions all our own. That's when we decided to see a movie and bake cookies. _

_I went shopping this evening and several times I found myself looking at a couple of things and thinking - I wonder if William would like that? Just as you wrote that you had done this afternoon. Silly me, I know - first off, kinda impossible to give it to you, and secondly, I don't know what you'd like. Probably half the stuff in this century, you wouldn't know what to do with, no offence. Either that, or it would simply freak you out._

_I also went to a bookstore here and bought a new journal for us when the pages in this one are filled - which, from the looks of things, will be very soon. _

_And lastly, I am so sorry to hear about your mother's worsening health. I am sure that the weather there right now cannot be great for her, but hopefully you'll have a mild winter and the warm weather will return soon. I continue to keep you and yours in my prayers and hope that she will get back to 100 soon. _

_That's about all for now. I'm just going to take it easy today after all that shopping I did, so I will talk to you later._

_Yours,_

_Buffy_

Buffy closed the journal and placed it back like normal. She then stood and went to unpack what she had bought for herself, and she took the bags that were for her friends and placed them in her closet.

The more she thought about it, the more she desperately wanted to give William a present for Christmas. Something, _anything_, would be better than giving him nothing, after all. It just didn't seem right to not give him something for Christmas after everything he had said in their journal to help her get through Warren and her tough days.

_Maybe I'll think of something, _she thought. After all, Christmas was still two weeks away; she had plenty of time. _I'll sleep on it and think about it tomorrow when my mind is fresh._

* * *

Buffy woke up the next morning feeling relaxed and content. Sunday was Buffy's favorite day of the week because she could sleep in as late as she wanted to, and she didn't have to go into work or stress over her new series for an entire day.

She had dreamed of William again last night. They had been lying together on the couch, simply _being_, and Buffy could distinctly remember seeing a framed photo of the two of them placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa. As she stretched and sat up in bed, Buffy knew what she could give William for Christmas. That was, as long as it worked.

Buffy rose from her bed and walked over to the full-length mirror and pulled off a photo from its frame. It was a photograph of herself that Xander had taken a few weeks ago when the five of them had gone to the town's small Thanksgiving parade. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold morning air. She was wearing a fairly heavy jacket, and her hair was blowing around behind her from the wind, but it was the most recent photograph she had of herself, and it was decent enough that she didn't mind William seeing it.

Buffy sat down at her desk and opened up the journal, seeing the entry she wrote last night and nothing else after that.

"William must be pretty busy," Buffy murmured, grabbing a pen. From what he had written last night and in his previous entries, it sounded like his family would be spending all of their time getting ready for Christmas day.

_December 12, 2004_

_My dear William,_

_I decided to try something new. If this works, then Merry Christmas! Or, Happy Christmas as you Brits say (which I still say is the completely wrong thing). It isn't much, but this is the best I could do. Please turn the page!_

Buffy tucked the photo of herself behind the page she had just written, wanting to surprise William when he turned the page. She hoped that it would work and wondered why she hadn't thought of this months ago when they were trying to picture what the other looked like. Her main reasoning for not trying to send objects through the journal until now was that she simply thought that it wouldn't work. Buffy thought that the objects might not travel through correctly, but she was even more afraid of screwing up the magic that allowed them to write to each other. Buffy would rather never know what William looked like and be able to keep writing to him than send an object through once and destroy their link across time.

She was about to close the journal when she suddenly realized that there was more she wanted to say, and something she wanted to ask as well. Turning to the page to where she had placed her image, Buffy continued to write before closing the journal and placing it back into the desk.

"I hope that works," she muttered, sweeping her hair out of her eyes before standing up to get ready for the day.

TBC...

Thank you all for the great feedback on the last chapter! Sorry for the shortness of this one - this and the next chapter were originally all one chapter together, but it just got too long that I felt like it needed to be split up.

You know the drill - read and review please! I'd love to know what you thought of the latest chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

With all of the decorations coming out of the attic and going up around the house, Emily-Grace's insistence that he help with her gingerbread house creation, and keeping an eye on their mother, William found that he barely had any time for himself that Sunday afternoon.

William was relieved when all of his duties were finally taken care of. Much later that evening, after Emily-Grace and Mother were settled for the night, William finally had some time to himself and could write to Buffy. He was certain that a new message from Buffy would be waiting for him, and he was eager to read what she had to say.

William sat down at the desk and opened up the drawer. He pulled out the journal before moving to sit more comfortably on his bed.

He opened up the journal to the most recent entry and smiled when he saw Buffy's scribblings. It had been over three months since they first began writing, and he was still amazed at whatever magic granted their communication. William always felt his heart jump when he saw a new entry from Buffy.

_December 12, 2004_

_My dear William,_

_I decided to try something new. If this works, then Merry Christmas! Or, Happy Christmas as you Brits say (which I still say is the completely wrong thing). It isn't much, but this is the best I could do. Please turn the page!_

William did as he was instructed to and jumped back somewhat when he saw something fall out of the journal and onto the floor in front of him.

He bent down and picked up what looked like a thick blank sheet of paper and carefully turned it over to look at the other side.

"Oh my," William whispered, feeling his breath leave his body. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating from the shock.

Looking up at him was, without a doubt, the most breath-taking woman he had ever gazed upon.

The photograph was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The image was flawless, not blurred, neither underdeveloped nor overdeveloped, scratched, or splattered by developer fluid in any way. It was smooth to the touch and even glossy, unlike the photograph plates that were currently being used. If it weren't for the glossy look of the paper, it could have easily passed for an actual painting.

_Photography must have advanced beyond our wildest dreams_, William thought in awe, unable to resist pondering the technical aspects of the advances in photography.

Thanks to the clarity of the photograph, William was able to look at what would be, in his time, considered an exact copy of his beautiful Buffy.

_Not mine, _he scornfully thought to himself. _She lives in the year 2004, and you would be an idiot to think that a ponce like you would ever have a chance with someone as beautiful as her_.

Nonetheless, he continued to stare in awe at Buffy's picture, wondering what it would be like to actually see her in real life. To actually touch her soft cheek instead of this flat sheet of paper. To actually...

"Stop it," he murmured. "Do not get your hopes up. Nothing can happen between us. Nothing."

As he looked at her photo, William knew that, without a doubt, he was in love with Buffy Summers. The pounding of his heart, his lack of breath whenever he saw a new entry from her, and that feeling deep down inside of him that sparked to life whenever he even thought of her - they all screamed that what he was feeling was pure love.

This image made him sure that it was love. She was absolutely beautiful, both inside and out. Although William had first fallen in love with her words and spirit, seeing an image of her for the first time had sealed the deal.

He loved her.

Now what was he going to do about it?

What could he do about it?

And the answer to both of these questions was, unfortunately, quite simple: nothing.

William broke away from his thoughts and returned to the journal, finding it hard to force his eyes away from looking into her beautiful green orbs that stared back at him. He set the photograph down on the desktop, wondering how he could prevent Emily-Grace from finding it.

On the page where Buffy had placed the photo, he saw that she had written more. He sat back to continue reading.

_I forgot to mention in my last entry that I met with my friends earlier this evening before I went shopping for coffee and dessert, and we got to discussing what we all wanted for Christmas. Xander seems to be behind with gift shopping - no surprise there, of course, Anya is hinting towards jewelry and something expensive, and Willow (even though she's Jewish) is excited about the holiday season. I think she is going to surprise Tara with a kitten since they both want a pet. _

_Anyway, what I'm trying to get to is this. Willow asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year...and I found myself fighting to keep from blurting out your name. Wow, I feel really stupid writing this...but all I want is you to see you. I want to celebrate Christmas with you, William. Actually, I would just love to celebrate with your family - Dawn and I, of course, surrounded by your loving mother and sister in front of the fire...wow, and I am so channeling _A Christmas Carol_...and is that even written yet? Sorry to get all melodramatic on you there, but a gal can dream._

_I really hope the photograph came through with the journal. If it didn't work, well - that's what I was trying to send, a photo of myself. Up till now I'd been afraid of taking the risk of destroying whatever allows us to communicate, but I really wanted to give something to you. And if it did work, could you do the same in return? I know photography isn't as good in your time as it is mine, but...I would love to see what you look like, William. _

_Yours,_

_Buffy_

William smiled and reread her entry over two more times, taking in every word that Buffy wrote. It thrilled him that she obviously cared for him, perhaps even as much as he cared for her.

He stood and went back to his desk, opening the top drawer and pulling out a sharp paper print of himself standing in the middle of the living room. The photograph was fairly recent, only four months old. With photography such an involved and lengthy process as it was these days, he and his family did not get their photographs taken very often.

He opened to a new page and placed the photo to his left on the desktop while he wrote.

_December 13, 1882_

_My dearest Buffy,_

_Words cannot express how thankful I am that you sent your photograph. Yes, your idea worked perfectly, and I am so glad it did. I, too, did not want to chance ruining what we have by trying to send objects through the desk other than our journal. _

_Buffy, I am simply in awe of your beauty. I never imaged that any woman could be as beautiful as you are, with your hair shining like gold, and your eyes glistening like...forgive me, I find myself babbling, as you call it. I must stop myself before I start creating more of my so-called "bloody awful poetry." Buffy, I could not have asked for a more thoughtful gift for the holiday. _

_I, too, wish my family could celebrate Christmas with yours. I have no doubt that Emily-Grace and Dawn would be instant friends, and Mother would absolutely adore you, I am sure of that. But let us not dwell on the impossible and go through this holiday season with regret. Be thankful for what we have, Buffy, and let us live each day to the fullest._

William paused and read over everything he had just written, somewhat surprised at just how confident he was with his writing. Less than a year ago, he would have never been so brave and sure of himself. But with this woman, William felt like he could do or say what he truly felt, and he would not be judged or ridiculed. Buffy had changed him and made him into a better, stronger man and for that alone, he would never take their correspondences for granted.

_I, too, have enclosed an image of myself. The photography is no where near as clear or perfect as yours, but it is one of the few photographs we have in the house that Mother will not notice is missing. Perhaps in the spring I will ask Mother about having new photographs taken of the family and send you one of the three of us together. _

_I have no gift to give, Buffy, other than my words, but_

"Wait just one second," William whispered to himself, trying to think up any last minute surprises he could give Buffy. He wanted to extend the same gratitude she had for him and surprise her with something in return

William crossed out the last line he had written and began again on the next line.

_I do not have anything that can compete with, or even match, your modern photograph. Everything I have to offer you already know of in your world, unlike myself, who cannot see into the future. Nevertheless, I do have a present I would like you to have. I know that you will look at it and claim that you cannot accept it, but I want you to have this, Buffy. It means very much to me, and I would like to let you have a part of something that is dear to me. I will explain its significance in my next correspondence._

_Take care, my heart, and may you have a relaxing Sunday afternoon._

_Yours truly,_

_William_

William reached into the top drawer once again and pulled out small cloth bag. He untied the leather binding and fully opened the bag. A pocket watch that he had never worn before fell into his waiting hand.

The pocket watch had belonged to his father, Benjamin Stafford, a man for whom William had nothing but admiration and respect. His father had died from the same illness that his mother was now suffering from when William had just turned thirteen. He did not remember much about his father, but he could remember his last few days very well, with his father struggling for breath and coughing up blood; unfortunately, they were not the days that William wanted to remember the best. Along with the investments he had left for the entire family, Benjamin also left several specific objects to William and Emmy.

Of all the things his father had left for him, the one object he treasured most was Benjamin's pocket watch. When he was very young, William could remember watching as his father had taken his pocket watch out of his vest pocket and open it up to look at the time. He had then looked down at William, showed him the watch, and had said the exact same thing. "Have I ever told you, William, that your mother bought this watch for me during our first year of marriage? I still wouldn't know the time if it weren't for her."

The watch meant so much to him today because it was a connection to both of his parents. It had quit working years ago before William was interested in wearing pocket watches, but he still held onto it. Even if it did still work, though, William suspected that he would not wear it so that he would not upset his mother or bring back memories of his father that they had tried to repress. However, he did know that he wanted the watch to go to someone he truly cared about.

Emmy was too young to even remember the pocket watch, so after reading Buffy's entry, William knew what he wanted to do. He would give it to Buffy Summers. After all, she was the only person outside of his immediate family that he cared about more than anything.

William placed the book in the bottom drawer and set the watch on top of the book so it would be the first thing Buffy saw.

With everything finished for the evening, William prepared for bed and settled down for a good night's sleep.

* * *

That evening, Buffy decided to turn in early. She had to get up early tomorrow morning to head into work and hopefully get there before Willow and Anya. She wanted to get there before her two co-workers did so she could put away the freshly gesso-ed canvases she left out to dry Saturday evening. More importantly, she also wanted to cover the two paintings she had left out in her studio in case Anya walked back there and saw her unfinished project.

She had just changed for the evening and was walking around her bedroom reading an article in the latest _Entertainment Weekly_ when she clumsily ran into her desk. Her legs bumped against it and pushed it across the floor several inches, leaving her with what would most likely be two identical bruises in a couple days.

"Ow," she muttered. "Okay, let's work on that coordination there, Buffy."

She threw the magazine down on her bed and moved the desk back so it was straight once again. When she pulled the desk towards her, Buffy heard a soft _clunk!_ from one of the desk drawers, as if something had gotten knocked over.

"Weird..." Buffy said, wondering what could have fallen to create that noise. She didn't keep too many things in the desk drawers just in case they suddenly wound up in 1882, so for the most part, they were empty.

She checked the drawers from top to bottom to make sure everything was okay. When she got to the drawer that was used solely for her and William's journal, she almost didn't bother opening it. However, since she was sitting there, she figured that she might as well check to see if he had replied yet. When Buffy opened the drawer a soft, "oh!" escaped her lips.

For the first time ever, the journal was not the only object in the desk drawer. Buffy looked down at what looked like a pocket watch. She carefully picked it up and grabbed the journal with her other hand. Buffy opened the journal and turned to where she had last written. She quickly skimmed what he had written, wondering why he had enclosed the pocket watch.

_I, too, have enclosed an image of myself. The photography is no where near as clear and perfect as yours, but it is one of the few photographs we have in the house that Mother will not notice is missing. _

Buffy flipped through the pages in the journal and even held it with the pages facing down the floor as she gently shook it. When nothing fell out, she realized that either the photograph did not travel through time correctly or he simply forgot to place it in there.

_I'll have to remind him to include it next time,_ Buffy thought with regret. She was a bit disappointed - she had been looking forward to seeing what he looked like!

_I have no gift to give, Buffy, other than my words, but_

_I do not have anything that can compete with, or even match, your modern photograph. Everything I have to offer you already know of in your world, unlike myself, who cannot see into the future. Nevertheless, I do have a present I would like you to have. I know that you will look at it and claim that you cannot accept it, but I want you to have this, Buffy. It means very much to me, and I would like to let you have a part of something that is dear to me. I will explain its significance in my next correspondence._

Buffy set the journal down and looked at the gold pocket watch, running her fingers over the intricate design on the front. She then opened it up and looked at the clock inside. The hands were not moving, and she hoped that sending it to 2004 hadn't broken it. The watch obviously meant a lot to William, and he was right - Buffy felt like she should not accept something that meant so much to him.

She closed the watch and turned it over to fully inspect it. At the bottom of the watch's back, she realized it was engraved.

_For B. A. S. _

_Love A. M. S._

"Someone who is a Stafford, obviously," Buffy whispered. "A. M. S. must be his mother, Anne. So, who could it be intended for...? Benjamin?"

Buffy scowled when she realized whose watch she was holding. It was his father's!

"William! Well, you're right - I can't just take this from you," she said, looking at the front of the watch once again. "Not when your father meant so much to you."

She ran her fingers over the gold pattern, noticing just how well crafted the pocket watch was. It must have cost his mother a fortune for their time to purchase it. Buffy fiddled with the clasp, trying to figure out how to attach it to things. It was similar to a toggle clasp that bracelets often used, and Buffy decided to hook it together to make it similar to a necklace.

"Well, it won't hurt to hang onto it tonight," she whispered, a small part of her taking delight in holding something that William had just recently touched. It made her feel closer to him somehow. "And then tomorrow I will tell him I can't keep it."

She climbed into bed and looked at his watch again. It really was quite elegant. Buffy suspected that she could go to a repair shop and have them fix it. Maybe she could send it back to him properly working - that would be a nice present, after all. Of course, she also figured that most clock repairmen wouldn't be used to working on a pocket watch from 1882. She would have to make sure they wouldn't damage it any further before she left it with anyone.

Buffy reached over and turned off her table lamp and settled into bed, hoping that she would soon fall asleep.

Very soon, Buffy found herself drifting off. She rolled over onto her side, taking the pocket watch along with her and falling asleep with the watch resting in her hand, the gold chain looping to tightly wrap around her wrist.

* * *

_It is much too bright_, was the first thought that ran through William's muddled mind. He was lying on his right side, which meant that the sun should be behind him - not in front.

He slowly opened his sleep-filled eyes, and began to turn over on his other side to see if the curtains had not been drawn closed. When he rolled over, however, he felt the hard surface beneath him disappear and came to realize he was now lying on hard wood floor. William felt his breath knocked out of him momentarily and rubbed his head where it had hit the floor.

He looked to his left and saw -

"My desk?" he whispered in disbelief. That was not possible. His desk was not this close to his bed.

And that's when he heard something. Sheets ruffling and then a breathy - and undoubtedly feminine - gasp.

William turned around to look to his other side and froze.

Sitting in a large bed wearing...well, what would definitely be considered indecent in his time by any standards, was the most beautiful woman that he had ever gazed upon.

She was simply the most breathtaking vision - an absolute angel dressed in next to nothing, much to William's embarrassment. Her tanned skin, a shade so dark and so bright like he had never seen in London, glowed in the morning sun. Her hair was tossed to her right shoulder in disarray and her eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.

Her bright green eyes.

He tried to form words - to ask what was going on? How? When? Why? But his mind could not think, his voice would not work, and he found that he could barely remember to breathe, let alone talk, from looking at such exquisite beauty.

"William?" The woman whispered, sitting up and looking at him more closely. "Is it...you?"

"_Buffy_?"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Buffy was still half-asleep when she swore she heard a muttered curse, and then the sound of something crashing to the floor in front of her. _Oh God, it's too early for anyone to be breaking in_, she thought with a groan. Although she wasn't ready to get up for the day, she opened her bleary eyes and sat up to inspect her room and make sure that everything was okay.

As she sat up, she could still feel the metal of the pocket watch chain wrapped tightly around her arm. The metal had grown warm from being against her skin all night and as the chain slipped from her wrist, Buffy couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.

However, when she saw what - or, better yet, _who _was in front of her, all other thoughts were erased from her mind. All of a sudden, she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

To her right, and sitting in front of her desk, was a man dressed in what appeared to be vintage pajamas. _Only...I guess they wouldn't be considered vintage for _him_, would they now?_ Buffy asked herself, somewhat amazed that she was able to form any coherent thoughts at the moment.

She took a closer look and noticed that there was a dazed expression in his eyes...

_Oh my God, look at his eyes_, Buffy thought, now unable to form words when she looked at his face. She had never seen such sharp cheekbones, or a pair of eyes more blue than the ones that stared right back at her in equal shock.

She waited a few more seconds to take it all in...to try and come up with some rational explanation why there was a man sitting on her bedroom floor at 7:00 in the morning.

_C'mon, Buffy, _she scolded herself. _For the past three months, you have been writing to someone living in 1882 for Christ's sake, let's start off with a rational explanation for _that _one._ Buffy looked at his unruly, curly, dirty blonde hair, down to his feet, which were bare, and then she slowly looked back up to meet his wide eyes once more.

Finally managing to find her voice, she hoarsely whispered, "William?"

Noticing no reaction from him, she tried again. Buffy summoned her courage to continue speaking, this time without the nervous waver in her tone. "Is it...you?"

The man at the foot of her bed slowly opened his mouth before quickly shutting it. A beat later he responded with a very similar tone of disbelief. "_Buffy_?"

_Oooh, accent...nice. Dawn was actually right after all, _Buffy immediately thought, even though she really should have been prepared to hear an accent in his voice. After all, it made sense, seeing as how he came from...

1882!

She felt something deep in her body tighten at the sound of finally hearing his voice, at the deep color of his eyes. She couldn't help but notice the way his hair carelessly fell into them, somewhat hiding the ever-changing shade of blue she so desperately wanted to see right now. "What? I - I mean...wait...but how...?"

"I seem to find myself asking the exact same questions," William managed to quietly respond, letting out a short, nervous chuckle. He shyly glanced up at her once again; however, he quickly looked away, feeling a blush quickly running up his neck at seeing...

Buffy shivered at the sound of his voice and the deep timbre of his laugh, and she pulled the sheet up to better cover her body. "How is this even possible?" she finally managed to ask.

"I haven't the slightest idea," William answered, slowly moving to a more comfortable sitting position. He ran his hand over what would most likely be a fairly decent sized bump on his head; with all of the surprise and shock, he had momentarily forgotten about the pain. William took a look around her room and actually could pick out several things that she had drawn for him in their journal - her telephone, the computer, and several small lamps. Seeing those objects made what was going on that much more real. "Is this really...?"

"2004?" Buffy finished. She nodded, unable to shake off her feeling of surprise. "Yeah...it is."

William - kind, sweet, "perfect gentleman" William was _here_. Here he was, sitting not even five feet away from her, the man whom she had begun to...

Buffy sat back, trying to figure out what to say and what to do next. In all of her fantasies where she and William were finally given an opportunity to meet, what was happening right now was definitely not one of the scenarios that she had thought out. Instead of whispered words, gentle kisses and promises of a future together, there was now awkward, tense, silence and obvious embarrassment from both ends.

At that moment, Buffy's alarm went off, filling the room with a loud, buzzing noise, one that William had never heard before. He jumped to his feet and frantically looked around the room for what was causing that horrendous racket. Buffy quickly reached over and hit the "off" button before sending an apologetic smile towards the man standing at the foot of her bed.

"Sorry. That was my alarm clock," she explained. "I, uh, I usually start getting ready for work now."

William nodded in understanding, remembering that she had written about alarm clocks once. However, part of him still wondered if that annoying noise might be returning anytime soon. He quickly ran his fingers through his unruly hair, wishing he had a brush with him, and smiled somewhat shakily. "This is not exactly I thought our first meeting would go."

Buffy nodded her head. "I didn't think we would ever have a first meeting to begin with," she muttered.

"I understand," William answered.

"Look, I need to, uh...let me call Willow and tell her that I won't be in to work today and then..." Buffy's voice trailed off, unsure of what she should do or say next.

_William is here_, she thought. That was about all her mind could process at the moment.

"Buffy," William began, and Buffy had to restrain herself from shivering again at the gentle, caring tone he used to speak her name. "Why don't you go through your typical morning routine, and I will wait until you have...calmed down, so that we may assess the situation together."

Buffy thought about his suggestion for a second and then slowly nodded. "That sounds like a good plan," she said. "I'm just, uh, going to take a shower and get dressed. Just, uh..."

"If you don't mind my looking around-"

"No, no, that's fine, William. Please, feel free to do whatever you want," Buffy quickly answered, trying desperately to escape from the awkward tension that filled the room. "Just, you know, be careful what you mess with, and don't - don't hurt yourself."

"I shall keep my hands to myself," he promised.

Without even thinking, Buffy threw the sheets back and rose from the bed before she remembered what she had worn to sleep in the night before.

William turned bright red when he caught a glimpse of where her short, satin nightgown ended. It was just wrong to see her tanned, bare legs move from under the covers into plain sight, polite society had taught him that. However, after he recalled that he was in 2004 and this was _Buffy_, of all people, he then had to fight the urge to continue looking away.

"I will leave you to your morning routine," he hoarsely muttered, backing up and beginning to leave her bedroom.

"William..." Buffy began. He did not look up at her, but he paused in the doorway. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

William quickly nodded before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

After the door shut, Buffy's knees gave out and she quickly fell back to sit on the edge of the bed. She held her head between her hands and took several deep breaths, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.

_Oh God, what am I going to do?_

* * *

After closing Buffy's door, William slowly walked down the hallway, taking his time to look at the photographs that lined both walls. Many framed images of Buffy and others, people he assumed were her friends that she had mentioned in their writings, covered the walls.

Many of the photographs also featured a slender girl with long, straight, dark brown hair, who often stood next to Buffy. From Buffy's descriptions and the frequency of her appearances William assumed that this could only be Dawn Summers. He noticed the similarities between the two sisters, and he quickly smiled when he did realize that Dawn, indeed, was slightly taller than Buffy.

As he looked at each photograph, finding himself unable to put names to the faces William took time to gaze at the woman of his affections in each one as the realization of just what was going on began to finally sink in.

William could hardly believe it. He was standing in Buffy's apartment, where Buffy was just one room away, in the year 2004.

It was, literally, a dream come true.

_Yes, but if it truly is a dream, why did what just occur seem more like a nightmare?_ William asked himself.

He had felt the increasing tension in the room and knew very well that Buffy had felt it as well. But even worse, he had clearly sensed that both he and Buffy were embarrassed the entire time. When they had first begun to write to each other, Buffy insisted that he try to overcome his embarrassment in asking any type of personal questions, and she would do the same. Now it was if they were right back to when they had written their very first entry, but even more nervous than before.

Then again, how could he not be embarrassed by what he had just seen? After all, being brought up in an upper class household had kept William away from seeing firsthand anything scandalous or taboo. In 1882, women dressed so they were fully covered and remained that way until in the privacy of the bedroom. Seeing any woman so scandally dressed as Buffy should shock him, there was no doubt about that.

But this was _Buffy_, and she was different than all of the women in London. Then, his first time ever seeing her in person, and to look at her dressed in something so scandalous.

William cast those thoughts out of mind and continued to walk, passing three closed doors, one which he knew must be Dawn's bedroom, and ending in the living room. The kitchen and dinner table were on his right, and William was surprised of the size of her apartment. When she had explained the layout of her home a couple months ago, William had thought that her home sounded incredibly small. Seeing it for himself, however, made him realize it was not so very much unlike his own home, the only exception being that her apartment was only one story. He walked around the living room, looking at the furniture and other objects placed on tables and bookcase shelves.

Buffy had very good tastes in furnishings, William couldn't help but notice. Of course, he attributed that to her artistic abilities, but he was still awe-struck to be in her living room, sitting on her sofa, as she dressed for the morning.

How was he here?

How was this even possible?

How long would he be allowed to stay?

And then his next, and most important, thought...

What was going to happen to Emily-Grace and his mother without him there to care for them?

* * *

Buffy stood under the scalding, pulsing water, letting it wash over her body and hopefully wash away her confusion. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be working too well.

William was _here_. Here he was, no more than thirty feet away from where she stood right now, and Buffy had never been more terrified in her life.

She could actually reach out to touch him for the first time ever. She could talk to him in person instead of simply writing letters back and forth. She could introduce him to Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Dawn, and prove to them that the last few months had been real. She could -

"Idiot! God, you're such an idiot, Buffy," she told herself sharply. That was the last thing she needed to do, to work herself up and get her hopes up, only to have William whisked back to 1882 before the day was over. It wouldn't do her any good to start planning for a future that would never happen.

"Do you honestly think that this will actually last?" she asked herself. "That William would actually want to stay here when he has a sick mother and younger sister back home that he needs to take care of?"

Buffy didn't know how he had suddenly traveled 122 years into the future, but she knew one thing - it was just too good to be true. They didn't live in a romance novel, Buffy had told herself that from the very beginning when they had first begun to talk. This was the real world, and things like time travel didn't just happen in order for two people to have their fairly tale ending.

No, this would not last - Buffy was sure of it.

It was either temporary - some crazy fluctuation in time or a possible screw-up with the combination of the magical desk, journal, and pocket watch. Whatever the reason, Buffy had to tell herself that William would ultimately have to go back to his family. To his century.

Away from her.

Buffy wiped her eyes when she realized that the wetness on her face wasn't just from taking a shower. She let the water wash over her once more before turning off the water. "Okay, I can do this..." she whispered to herself as she wrung out her hair and stepped out of the tub. "I can act like he means nothing to me...I have to. I can make him realize that he would rather go back home than stay here with me."

Because more than anything else, Buffy would not allow herself to be hurt by a man again. She had barely made it through her relationship with Warren several months ago, and she knew that whatever happened with William now, the inevitable fallout would be tens times worse than before. After all, this relationship was doomed. In Buffy's mind there was no way an eighteenth century gentleman and a twenty-first century independent woman could make it work.

She hardened her emotions, preparing for whatever might be said or done, while she dressed in jeans and a simple black tank top. She spritzed some conditioner spray into her hair before quickly running a comb through it. After messing around with a couple different hairstyles, she finally decided to pull it all back and place it in a loose ponytail.

Because as much as she wanted William to stay, Buffy knew that fairy tales didn't come true.

* * *

Buffy walked down the hallway to find William staring out of the window in her living room. As she stepped closer to him, she could see a boyish look of awe and amazement very clear on his features. Although not even five minutes ago her thoughts had been dreary, she suddenly had to fight back her own smile.

"Things look different, don't they?" Buffy softly asked coming up even closer behind him. She stuck her hands in her pockets, unsure of how to act or what to say.

What do you say to the man you've practically fallen in love through reading his words alone? How were you supposed to react to someone who somehow managed to travel through time?

One thing was certain, Buffy wasn't going to be finding any relationship self-help books on _this _topic at Barnes and Noble anytime soon.

"It's incredible," William answered, the awe clear in his tone. "All of these houses and buildings..." he cleared his voice and looked down at her. "You were not lying when you said they were a hundred stories tall."

Buffy chuckled. "Well, these aren't exactly a hundred stories...more like ten or less. That is an apartment complex across the street, and compared to other buildings, that one is tiny. Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until I show you LA." Buffy's voice cracked at the last minute, as she realized that she was now trying to make future plans with a man who might be gone when she woke up tomorrow morning. William was so entranced by the landscape before him, however, that he did not hear the catch in her voice.

William finally turned his attention away from the window and to the petite blonde standing in front of him, and he couldn't help but think that he had always pictured her taller. Her hair was still wet and pulled back from her face, and she tentatively smiled when she realized he was staring at her.

"What? I know I must look-"

"Buffy," he whispered. "If I may be so bold..."

"Yes?"

"That picture does not do you justice at all. You are far more beautiful than any picture could ever capture," William said truthfully.

Buffy's heart lurched at those words, feeling them warm her heart and break it at the same time. Why, oh why, couldn't he stay?

"Thank you," she answered softly. She cleared her throat and then met his eyes again. "If you want to change out of...that, then I think I have some spare clothes that might fit you until we can buy you some new ones."

She turned around and headed back towards her bedroom, listening to William follow closely behind her. "When Warren and I broke up, he left a few things here. I kept meaning to get rid of then, but never did...I just didn't even want to look at them, so I hid them in my closet. I think they should fit okay."

Buffy dug around in her closet until she pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. "Here you go...," she said, holding them out to him.

William reached out to take the clothing, causing their fingertips to collide and touch. Buffy felt their skin make contact, felt the warmth from his hand, and quickly jumped back, as if afraid she was going to catch a disease from him. "Th-thank you," he stammered, that feeling of nervousness and embarrassment quickly returning. "If you could just tell me where I may change?"

"Of course," Buffy answered, blushing slightly under his intent stare. She walked back through the hallway and stopped in front of the last door that was closed. She opened it and turned on the light, causing a smile to form on William's face.

"Electricity," he murmured. He looked around the rest of the apartment, noticing for the first time all of the lamps and lights he saw. With so many other thoughts racing through his mind, the last thing he had focused on was electricity. "You told me about it, but it was just so difficult to imagine through words and pictures. This is simply amazing." He looked up at the bright light bulbs over the vanity mirror before turning his attention to the rest of the room with an eager look on his face.

"Yeah, I guess it's just one of those things that we take for granted these days," Buffy admitted. "I can't image what it'd be like living without things like electricity and AC. Although I guess you would be able to get through that with ease, huh?"

William nodded. That was another thing he had not noticed - air conditioning. He hadn't even realized how comfortable he felt in her house until right now. It was not bitterly cold like it always was in the morning before the house warmed up from his family and the fires. It was just about perfect, actually. And William knew at least a little bit about these modern conveniences thanks to Buffy's explanations through the journal.

"And this is the...?"

"Oh, this is the bathroom," Buffy announced, stepping in first to show him how to work everything. She explained the shower faucets and how to switch from bath to the shower, hearing an appreciative "ooh" from William as she showed how well the indoor plumbing actually worked. Then she gave a demonstration on how to work the sink, and quickly explained the toilet, managing to keep her blush to a minimum as she tried to explain how men use it.

"I'm sure I will manage quite fine," William assured her as to keep Buffy from rambling on for the rest of the morning. He hadn't even been with her for an hour yet, and he could tell that her early claims of rambling were very true. "If there is anything that I find confusing, I will let you know."

"Okay then," Buffy replied. "How about breakfast?"

"Breakfast would be spectacular," William answered.

"Then I'll be in the room over there," Buffy explained, pointing towards the small kitchen. "And I'll have some food ready for you when you come out."

"Thank you, and Buffy?" Buffy's eyes darted up to meet his. "I do not know how or why I have come to be here with you, but I am grateful for however it happened."

Buffy slowly nodded in agreement before shutting the door for him.

She heard the shower turn on and leaned back against the door, committing this morning to memory in case it was the last, and only, morning she would ever have with William.

"So am I, William," Buffy softly agreed. "So am I."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

"Willow?" Buffy asked when her friend picked up the phone. "Hey, it's me."

"Hey, Buffy," Willow greeted. "Is everything okay? You sound..."

"No, I'm fine," Buffy assured her, hoping that her voice didn't suggest otherwise. "I just wanted to call and let you know that I won't be in to work at all today."

"Are you sure everything is alright?"

"No! I mean, yes!" Buffy sighed and tried to calm herself. "Yes, Willow, everything is fine. I just need to do some errands...away from the gallery today. Can you just call Anya and see if she can come in today?"

As she spoke, Buffy walked up to the bathroom and placed a pair of flip-flops that she had finally found in her closet beside the door. They had belonged to Warren as well, and Buffy wasn't too sure if she still had them anymore; nevertheless, she was now thankful that she hadn't thrown them out several months ago. They wouldn't be the greatest pair of shoes in the world, but they would hopefully be suitable enough for William to wear to the mall.

"Sure thing, Buffy. I'll call her after we hang up," Willow replied. "But...are you sure that everything is okay?"

Buffy paused and heard the water cut off, signaling that William woud soon be coming out of the bathroom. She cleared her throat and backed away from the door. She quickly continued on, hoping to finish the conversation before he came back out. "Yeah, I think so," she answered, her voice sounding far away from the conversation with her red-headed friend.

"Do you want me to come over after work today?" Willow asked. "We can order some very unhealthy food for dinner and watch movies all night."

"No...definitely not," Buffy quickly answered. "I just...there are just some things I need to deal with, okay?"

Willow nodded, even though her friend would not be able to see the movement. After all, Willow was somewhat used to Buffy taking several days off from work, thanks to Warren. After their break up, Buffy hadn't come into work for a week, leaving Willow and Anya to run her business and take orders for paintings they didn't know if Buffy would complete.

"That's fine, Buffy...take as much time as you need. Just keep Anya and me posted on when you'll be back in, okay?"

"Thank you so much, Will, you're the best friend anyone could have."

"I know, I know...keep sucking up, I'll take all I can get," Willow teased. "I'll talk to you later, Buff."

"Okay, bye."

Bufy hung up the phone and returned to the stove to finish cooking breakfast.

Several minutes later, William walked into the kitchen with a towel between his hands, still trying to dry out his hair. Although they were a bit long on him, the sweatpants were a decent fit for the time being. However, the t-shirt was a bit tight around the chest, causing William to feel somewhat unconfortable as he headed into the kitchen.

"The shower is simply fantastic," William announced when he entered the kitchen. He smiled at Buffy, as he continued to praise the incredible features of modern indoor plumbing and having constant hot water.

Buffy, on the other hand, was somewhat distracted by his change of appearance. Sure, they were ratty clothes, and from Warren of all people, but on him...

_Stop it, _she told herself. _Don't get too attatched. You never know what's going to happen_.

"That's great," she said, "I'm glad it wasn't too difficult to figure out." Buffy was pleased that William seemed to be adjusting to the twenty-first-century fairly well. Buffy suspected that it was from everything she had written to him in their journal, almost as if she was preparing him for the inevitable...

_No, don't think that,_ she tried to warn herself. Nevertheless, as William sat down at her kitchen table with a warm, tender smile on his beautiful face, Buffy could feel herself slipping.

"Bacon and eggs are coming up in just a couple more minutes," Buffy explained. "Feel free to look around. Most of these things I have already told you about, actually. Fridge and freezer, microwave, stove..." Buffy pointed to each object as she said its name. "Just...don't hit any buttons. I don't really want to have to explain a fire - and you - to all of my friends right now."

William decided that he would have time later on to go look at and examine every invention with Buffy's assistance and remained seated at the table. Instead, William took the time to stare at Buffy, managing to not feel ashamed or embaressed to do so. Her back was towards him as she stood at the stove with a spatula in one hand and her other holding the handle of a pan.

Sometime while William had been taking his shower, Buffy had taken down her hair, letting it contine to dry as she prepared breakfast. Occasionally, she would toss her hair from one side to the other while flipping eggs. And as she stood there, William watched her sway back and forth, as if listening to music that only she could hear. He was delighted to see her so carefree at that moment, unlike earlier when she had been oviously uncomfortable.

When Buffy turned back around, he quickly lowered his eyes to the table in front of him, not wanting to be caught staring at her as she swayed so provocatively. William fought back a blush and when he finally felt that he had himself under control, looked back up at her. "It smells lovely," he complimented.

"Thanks. Do you like milk to drink? Or orange juice?"

"Juice would be fine, thank you," he replied.

A minute later, Buffy sat a plate and a tall glass of orange juice down in font of him before joining him on the opposite side of the table. "Enjoy!"

The rest of the breakfast continued in silence. Both Buffy and William had a million questions running through their heads, but neither one was brave enough to speak up.

* * *

After breakfast, there wasn't much to do except to show William around the house - which didn't take long - and to show off the city that she lived in.

Buffy decided to take him to the local Sunnydale Mall to buy him some new clothing and other necessary items that he might need over the next few days. Without actually knowing how long his stay might be, Buffy didn't want to overshop for him. She couldn't help but remind herself that he very well might be gone by tomorrow morning.

As they drove to the mall, William's face was glued to the car window, staring at the buildings flying past him in amazement. His hand was tightly gripping the door handle on his right, as his other hand rested nervously on the arm rest and against his leg. Sure, Buffy had explained how fast cars are able to travel in her century, but it was a completely different thing to experience it firsthand!

Buffy kept glancing over at him every so often to make sure that he didn't get carsick all of a sudden. But whenever she looked at him, he seemed very eager and excited to see everything flying past him.

"So, it looks like you really like cars," Buffy started. "And now we know that's one trait in men that hasn't changed very much over the years."

"Hmm? Oh, this is just incredible," William stated, finally taking his eyes off of the road to look over at her. "It takes a bit getting used to, of course, but I am enjoying this very much."

"Good. I'm glad William," Buffy honestly replied. "I'm actually pretty amazed that you've adjusted as well as you have so far. I figured you would have been screaming, 'Demon! Demon!' at the cars driving by or something."

William chuckled, unsure of where Buffy got that notion, but finding the mental image of that happening funny all the same. "Well, I believe that our writings have been a great help. After all, many of these things I have seen you have explained to me, both in words and images, so at least they are not a complete surprise."

"That's true," Buffy thought, thinking back to the journal and their last entires they had each written. "So...I'm guessing you got my photograph then?"

William nodded. "Yes, I did. It was...beautiful," he managed to say, knowing that there weren't any words that could truly describe Buffy.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling the heat in her cheeks flare up.

"I replied last night with my own photo."

"Which didn't come through," Buffy replied. "I opened the journal late last night but there wasn't any photograph."

William frowned, wondering what had gone wrong. Perhaps he had simply forgot to place the photograph inside the journal? "In any case, I meant to give you a photograph, and-"

William paused, thinking back to his father's pocketwatch. With all of the excitement from the morning, he hadn't given a second thought to the journal sitting in the bottom of their desk and the pocketwatch that he had sent along with it.

"And what?"

"I included my father's pocketwatch," William explained. "As a Christmas present to you, since you attatched your photograph."

"I know, I found the watch last night, William." Buffy took her eyes off the road to look at him in order to make her next words more to-the-point. "But I can't accept something like that. It's from your father, a man whom you clearly admire and love."

"Which is exactly why I felt like I should pass it on to you," William replied. "I know, it was probably a rash decision, but I wanted you to have something that means so much to me."

Buffy paused, seeing that the two of them had come to an impasse regarding who would now keep the pocketwatch. "So...do you think that's how you got here then?"

William shrugged. "I do not know. However, this is the first time that either one of us has ever tried to send actual objects through the desk, rather than just our journal."

The edges of Buffy's mouth slightly lifted. He thought of it as their journal too! That notion filled her with a small sense of joy.

"I was thinking that maybe because we were running out of pages in the journal," Buffy began. "I was worried that any other type of journal wouldn't work...maybe you were sent here since we were almost finished writing and..."

"And possibly it was time to move beyond simply writing to one another?" William suggested.

"Beats me. This doesn't happen to me, or anyone else I know, too often."

"As with me," William agreed.

William looked around the car, inspecting all of the little knobs, switches, colors, and lights. He placed his hands in his lap. A slight twinge of fear kept him from touching anything other than the door handle and the armrest on the side of the seat.

His left arm, which was draped over the arm rest attatched to his seat, left his hand resting on top of the gear shift in the between the two seats. William wasn't sure what that was used for, but he had seen Buffy move it back when she was driving out of the driveway, and then back even further when she began moving forward.

Buffy looked down and smiled. This was a scenario she never imagined would ever happen. She was driving with William to go shopping. Buffy knew that she should be thrilled, blissfully happy even, but she still couldn't get past her irrational fear that he might disappear with the blink of an eye.

Taking her right hand off the steering wheel, she gently placed it over top of his. She felt him tense for a second before gradually relaxing back into his seat. Buffy waited, allowing him to become comfortable - after all, she was almost positive that no woman would ever be so forward with him in 1882.

She tightened her grip over his hand and squeezed lightly, allowing herself to take pleasure in touching him for the very first time.

"I...I'm not very good with words either," Buffy softly admitted, "but there were some words that I did not say this morning that I should have said."

William looked down at their joined hands, unsure of what to say or how to act. He wanted to check if he was dreaming or not, but then again...this surprassed any dream he could have thought up. He waited for Buffy to continue.

"William, I...I am glad you're here as well," Buffy said. "However it happened...whether it was your pocketwatch, or our journal, or just...our time, I am glad."

He smiled and turned his hand over, causing hers to fall and meet his, palm to palm. He gently squeezed her hand in return, amazed that something so simple could give him so much delight. "I am glad as well, Buffy."

The two continued their ride in silence, neither one removing their grip from one another.

* * *

After finding a parking space and helping William figure out how to open the car door, the two walked into Macy's. William looked around in awe at all the bright, blinking lights, the multitude of clothing in so many different colors, and so many people walking around them.

The department store was decorated for Christmas and William could hear carrols that even he recognized being played somewhere in the store. Tinsel, garlands, and gigantic wreaths lined the ceiling, and he was amazed that a store took so much time and care into decorating for the holiday. William turned a full circle, taking everything in, and adjusting to all of the noise surrounding them.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked, with a worried expression of her face. She watched William spin around with a dazed look on his face and instantly thought that taking him to such a big store on his first day here might not have been her smartest decision.

"Yes, thank you," William aswered. "I'm just slightly overwhelmed by all of this."

"It'll be okay," Buffy assured him. "Just stick close with me and we'll try to not get separated. I just want to get some clothing that better fits you."

Buffy led the way past the women's section, the make-up and jewelry counters, womens' shoes, and into the men's section of the store. She kept checking back every so often to make sure that William was still following her. Although he was still looking around at everything a mile a minute, he was able to keep up with her surprisingly well.

Once in the men's department, Buffy wasn't quite sure what to do first. After all, she had never shopped for any other man in her life other than Warren, and he hated shopping at off-brand department stores.

"Well, here we are," she announced. "You aren't going to find anything exactly like what you're used to wearing, but..."

"Perhaps we should ask for assistance then," William suggested. Just by looking at her face, he could tell that she was just as nervous as he was about finding proper clothing.

"Great idea, William," Buffy said. She walked up to a customer service desk on their left. "Hi, excuse me? We need some help."

"What can I help you two with?" the tall, brunette exployee asked. His name was Shawn, or at least that's what his name-tag read, and he quickly put down the shirt he was folding to give them his full attention.

"My...uh, friend, is visiting from London for the week, but the airport totally screwed up with his luggage," Buffy lied, coming up with the first excuse that she could think of. She glanced at William, hoping he would keep silent and act natural. "So...we need some clothes and stuff for him for a few days while they find his luggage."

"Okay, well...what are you looking for exactly, sir?"

William paused, completely clueless on how to answer Shawn's question. "I am not quite sure..." he began.

"Just something comfortable, right, William?" Buffy quickly asked. "Maybe some khakis, some soft shirts, and other necessities." She blushed and looked away from William. "Y'know, briefs, sleepwear, stuff like that."

The employee nodded. "And what size are you looking for?"

"That's another problem..." Buffy began. "Um...oh yeah! They have different sizes in London, not like our sizing numbering. So, we have no idea." She bit her lip, hoping that explanation was passable. "And the same thing goes for shoes as well."

"Well, we can help you out," he assured him. "Just come with me and I can get some measurements and then begin to pull some possibilities for you."

"Thank you, sir," William replied, following the man into the dressing room section.

Buffy followed behind the two men, sighing with relief that they hadn't run into any difficulties yet. When the three arrived outside of the dressing room, Buffy sat down in one of the plush chairs to the right of the doorway. "I'll be right out here if you need me," she assured him.

Almost forty-five minutes later, Buffy and William left the men's department each carrying three bags full of clothes and a couple boxes of shoes. Buffy had wound up spending a bit more money than she had originally planned to, but after seeing William in each of the outfits that both she and Shawn had picked out, she knew that she had to buy them for him.

Now all they needed to do was to go by a Wal-Mart and pick up things like shampoo, soap, razors, and other odds and ends. They walked back out to her car and put the bags in the trunk.

"Anything else you need while we're here?" Buffy asked. "You can pretty much get anything at a shopping mall these days, trust me."

William hesitated, unsure if he should bring it up. "Well, since you ask..."

"Yes?"

"I believe I need a pair of glasses."

"Glasses?" Buffy thought back to all of his entries, unable to remember him mentioning that he wore glasses. "You wear glasses? You've never told me."

A slight blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away.

_Oh great, just what I needed, for me to embarrass him even more, _Buffy thought. _As if both of us weren't already embarassed enough._

"Luckily, my eye sight is not that bad," William began. "However, I do find that I must often wear my glasses in order to read well."

"Oh, well that's okay," Buffy said. "We'll just go get your eyes examined and they can write you a perscription for new glasses. I think there is a Lens Crafters here."

"Lens Crafters?"

"Yeah, they, uh, are a store that just sells and makes eye glasses," Buffy explained. She started walking back to the mall and motioned for William to follow.

They walked through the same department store again and came out at the entrance to the main part of the shopping mall. It was pretty crowded for it being so early in the morning, but with Christmas coming so soon, Buffy knew that she shouldn't have been so surprised. Buffy stopped walking and looked around, trying to remember where Lens Crafters was.

With it being just two weeks away from Cristmas, gigantic wreaths - bigger than the ones that were inside Macy's, even - were placed all over the mall. There was music playing over the loudspeakers, christmas lights were blinking everywhere, and in the center of the mall was a gigantic Christmas Village complete with Santa Claus' house where children could have their photograph taken with the man.

While Buffy tried to get her surroundings in order, William took his time to look around at all of the people around him. They were dressed in similar fashion to what Buffy was wearing - to think! Women wore trousers in the twenty-first century on a daily basis!

He had never seen such fashion before, especially on the women! Seeing Buffy in long blue pants and a sleeveless top was pure innocence compared to what some of the other young women were wearing as they walked around the shopping mall. Even some of the men were dressed in such a style that William could scarcely believe it was polite in society to dress like that. The outfits that Buffy had bought for him were comfortable, casual, yet still had a sense of formality attatched to them. Some of the men here were obviously going for the completely opposite look.

Many people were walking around in groups of two. William saw many pairs of a man and woman slowly walking together. Several groups had their hands clasped together as they swung their arms back and forth. Other couples were also walking close together, however the man had placed his arm around the woman's shoulder. William was clearly not used to seeing such blantant displays of affection, but was intrigued all the same.

Could he possibly act that way with Buffy? Would either of them be comfortable with that?

"A-ha!" Buffy said, looking down at the directory and pointing at a small square on the map. "It's over to the left, just like I thought it was. C'mon."

She started walking, expecting William to follow her as he had been doing all morning. However, when she turned around, he was nowhere to be seen.

_Where is he?_ she thought, beginning to panic. _I can't have lost him on his first day, he'll have no idea what to do!_

She walked back to the directory and then looked around where they had been standing. Finally, she saw him standing outside of Spencer's, looking in the window at the many different lit-up, spinning, fiber optics devices that were displayed there.

"There you are," Buffy cried out, quickly walking up to him. "Don't do that to me again. You have to stay with me so you don't get lost, okay?"

William looked at her having never heard that tone of voice come from her before. Yes, she sounded concerned, but she also sounded very angry. "I do apologize, Buffy," he said. "I was just looking-"

"Yeah? Well, while you're looking away, I was freaking out thinking I lost you in the mall and you had wandered off...and I wouldn't know how to find you, since you know jack squat about the 21st century!"

A frown crossed his features as he repeated his words. "I apologize. It won't happen again."

"You bet it won't. C'mon."

With that, Buffy reached out and grabbed onto his hand, pulling him along with her at a moderate pace. Although her main reason for taking ahold of his hand was to enture that he didn't get sidetracked by window displays or separated from her, another part of her had made her grasp his hand just for the sake of touching him again. And as they walked through the mall, Buffy didn't know which was the more important reason anymore. Feeling his smooth skin around hers, the way his hand was just the perfect size to hold her's - well, all her thoughts of anger and keeping William at a distance vanished when they touched.

She glanced over at her side to see William, with a smile on his face and starting down intently at where their hands met. Well, she had finally found a way to distract him from all of the visual stimuli in the display windows they passed.

Now she just had to focus on keeping her own concentration.

TBC...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

Buffy didn't let go of William's hand until they walked into Lens Crafters. Holding his hand had simply felt so..._so good_, Buffy thought, as she looked at his dazed expression as he took in his new surroundings.

Having William here with her was like an absolute dream come true. Here he was, standing right beside her, and the embodiment of the perfect man with his polite manners and his kindness. It was hard to not give in and let herself simply be with him, but Buffy knew that as easily as he had been brought to 2004, it was just as easy to take him back to 1882.

"Can I help you?" A red haired woman asked as she approached Buffy and William.

"Oh, yes," Buffy answered, pushing away her worries and hopes all connected to William's presence. She looked at the tall redhead, whose nametag read "Lisa."

"My, uh, friend here needs a pair of glasses," Buffy explained.

"Yes, I've seemed to have lost mine on my trip over here," William added. He looked over at Buffy and sent her a look that clearly said, "See? I can get my way through this just as well as you can."

Buffy smiled, amazed that William had caught on to covering his real story so quickly. "I think he's a bit nearsighted."

"Okay, well, why don't I just take a reading of your eyes and we'll go from there," Lisa suggested.

William looked over at Buffy once again, this time with a slight look of worry in his expression. Having never had a 21st century eye exam, he had no clue what to expect. When Buffy nodded, trying to silently tell him everything was all right, William nodded as well. "Very well, that sounds fine to me."

The couple followed Lisa to the back of the room, where she motioned William to sit down in one of the chairs. Buffy sat down in the chair to his left to keep a close eye on what he said and did. "Now, just sit here and let me grab my machine."

As Lisa walked to the other side of the store, Buffy leaned closer to William. "Are you okay?"

"I believe so, yes," William answered. "This is incredible, Buffy. Indoor shopping, all of the bright lights, and and everything so convenient. I never would have imagined it looking like this, even though you have spoken much of it."

There was a smile of pure enjoyment on William's features, and Buffy found the smile infectious. How could she not smile at seeing William having so much fun? "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself here."

William turned to look at her, that look of excitement changing to one of adoration. "And I am glad you are here to experience this with me."

Buffy never got to answer as Lisa came back, with a small black box in her hands. "Here we are. Okay, just look straight ahead and stay still. Try to blink as few times as possible while I take a reading on your eyes."

William nodded, after warily glancing at her contraption. He wasn't sure if that looked very professional, but since Buffy seemed to think that it was all right, he did as the young woman asked. He saw a bright light in the box, and kept waiting for something to happen.

"Alright, you're all done," Lisa announced, sitting back in her own chair to read the results.

"That was it?"

"Yes, completely painless, see?" Buffy asked. "It's when you have to get your eyes dilated that it's not so much fun. We might have to do that at an optometrist's office depending on what she tells us."

William looked at her, half of those words sounding like an alien language to his ears.

"Good news, sir, it looks like you really aren't nearsighted or farsighted at all," Lisa said. "You just need a good pair of reading glasses."

"Is that good?" He asked Buffy.

Buffy shrugged. Since neither she nor her sister had ever had glasses, she wasn't too sure how these things worked out. "I hope so."

Lisa stood and walked over to a spinning rack of reading glasses. She picked out a couple different frame sizes that were William's correct prescription. "Here you go, try this one on," she said when she walked back to the two.

William slid the frames on, immediately amazed at how light they felt resting against his nose. However, even more importantly, all of the words around him cleared up at once. He smiled at Lisa as he said, "Yes, these are spectacular." William turned to look at Buffy. "What do you think?"

Buffy's breath caught in her throat at seeing him wearing the silver, thin framed glasses. _Damn_, she cursed in her mind. _And I thought he looked good when I first saw him this morning? Yeah...wow..._

"They - they, uh, look great," Buffy finally managed to stammer.

"Great," Lisa said. "That should solve all of your problems." She opened one of the drawers behind the desk and pulled out a blue eyeglasses case. "Here you are. Blue, to match your eyes," she said to William, smiling as she handed him the case.

"Thank you, miss."

"Yes, thanks so much," Buffy said, noticing that gleam of interest in the woman's eye as she stared at William. Despite her attempts to brush off Lisa's flirtatious smile, Buffy could feel the jealousy surge through her. "Now, where do I pay?" Lisa pointed to the counter on the right side of the store and both Buffy and William stood up. "Thanks again."

"Yes, thank you very much," William spoke.

Buffy paid for William's glasses and walked out of the store a few minutes later.

"Now, this is incredible," William remarked as he opened and closed the glasses case several times in a row.

"What?" Buffy turned back to the department store they had come from, making sure that William kept up with her fairly easily.

"This...rough material here," he said, unable to find any other appropriate words to describe it.

Buffy looked over at what he was talking about and smiled as he continued to uncover and then reseal the case. "It's called velcro," she explained. "Pretty amazing stuff. I'll look it up on the Internet for you and you can read about it."

Hearing that, William perked up. "Ah yes, the Internet and computers," he began, "Do you think that you could teach me how to work one of those?"

Buffy paused, thinking about all of the possible scenarios of how difficult _that_ might go. "Let's just get back home and get you settled in before you tackle the most important invention of the 20th century, okay?"

William nodded in agreement, "That is fine with me, Buffy. After all, this has been quite a lot to absorb all in one day."

"You're telling me," she muttered.

He could hear the change of tone in her voice and was instantly worried. Was she not happy as he was that he was here? Did he not want her to be here? "Buffy?"

"Yes, William?" She stopped walking and turned to look up at him with a solemn expression of her face.

"Never mind," he said, changing his mind about confronting her at the last second. "Returning to your flat seems like the most sensible plan."

"Great, glad we agree." With that, Buffy turned and continued walking.

William followed several paces behind her, his head still moving back and forth as he tried to take all the new sights, sounds, and energy in. This shopping center was truly incredible and he hoped that Buffy would bring him back here one day soon when they had more time.

However, more than anything else, William just wished that she would reach out and hold his hand once again.

* * *

Buffy and William arrived back at her apartment without any other problems, and Buffy first showed him to the guestroom.

"It's pretty small," Buffy said, "but it's the best I can do."

"It, uh, is fine," William answered. Truthfully, he was a bit nervous about staying in a woman's home considering the fact that the only house he had ever lived in was with his mother and sister. But he kept telling himself that this was Buffy, so it had to be all right.

The two took some time to unpack the bags that they had bought at Macy's and either hang his clothes in the closet or fold them to place in the dresser.

"Thank you again for the clothing," William spoke after they finished.

"No problem," Buffy answered. "I mean, what was I supposed to do? Let you run around naked for as long as you're here?"

_I _so _shouldn't have said that_, Buffy thought when she saw William begin to blush. Buffy could feel heat rising to her cheeks as well and cleared her throat to change the subject. "C'mon," she said, walking back out to the living room. "Just wait here a second."

Buffy walked down the hallway and into her bedroom. A few seconds later, she walked back out with the journal in one hand, and his pocket watch in the other.

"Ah, there is my pocketwatch," William said, as he sat down on the couch.

"I thought it might be time to sit down and talk about this a bit," Buffy said, joining him on the sofa. "I actually think that this is what brought you here."

"How so?"

Buffy explained how she had found the pocket watch last night and worn it to bed. When she had woken up to discover William at the end of her bed, she could still feel the chain of the watch wrapped around her wrist. "It's the only somewhat rational explanation I could come up with," she finished with.

William had taken the journal from her when she sat down and was not looking through the pages. "Isn't it amazing?"

"What?"

"That all of this is happening," he replied. "I mean, with all of our writing, I never thought that it might actually bring us together in person."

Buffy froze, unsure of what to say. In all honestly, she too wanted to be as thrilled as he, but another part of her—and again she felt as if she had Warren to thank for this mindset—had to look at the negative side first. Sure he was here, but what would trigger his trip back to 1882? And when?

She had made a promise to herself that she would not get too attached to William, and that was when they were just writing to one another. How on earth was she suppose to resist this man when he was sitting less than a couple feet from her on her couch? But resist she must, because Buffy couldn't take the risk that he might be here for only a short amount of time.

"It's all pretty crazy," Buffy finally said, forcing herself to keep herself emotionally separated from William. "But...but it's most likely only temporary."

"How can you say for certain?"

"Well, I can't obviously, I just...I, uh..." Buffy's voice died off as she gazed across into his cerulean eyes. _God, no wonder I could never duplicate that color, it's just impossible._ "So, this is your father's pocket watch?"

William looked down and took the pocket watch from her hand. "Yes, it is. It was very important to both him and myself. My mother gave it to him on their first anniversary together."

"Then why are you giving it to me?" Buffy asked again, wanting him to be absolutely sure he was willing to part with such an important object.

William shrugged slightly. "I wanted to give it to someone who meant a lot to me. Emmy wouldn't understand its significance since she was too young to remember Father, but I thought you might understand, what with your mother and father both gone."

"William, I-" _I love it, I love that you're here. I love you,_ she thought. _Tell him sometime good_. "I can't accept this, but thank you for thinking of me."

"But Buffy, I-"

"How about some lunch, William?" Buffy quickly asked, rising from the couch and heading towards the front door. "Are you hungry?"

"Well, yes I am a bit," William answered with a look of dissatisfaction on his features. Why was she running from him?

"Good. Well, there is this great little sandwich shop a few blocks down," Buffy explained as she grabbed her purse and car keys. "Why don't I go down there and pick up a couple things for us?"

"Would you like me to come with you?"

"No, that's not necessary," Buffy answered. In all honestly, she needed some time away from him, some time to think everything through and figure out what she was going to do over the next few days. How was she going to handle William's presence twenty-four hours a day? "Remember us talking about the television? Well, here's your chance to finally see what it is."

William perked up at hearing he would finally have an opportunity to see what was so great about the thing called "television." "That would be lovely."

Buffy walked back to the couch and handed him a long, rectangular object with raised buttons everywhere. "This is the remote control, remember me explaining it to you back in September?"

William nodded, "Yes, I do."

Buffy quickly explained how to turn the TV on and off, change the channels, and adjust the volume. "Okay, have fun while I'm gone."

"Thank you, Buffy," William replied, looking up at her with a quick smile. He had taken off his reading glasses once they got back to Buffy's apartment, and Buffy could feel herself becoming trapped in his ocean blue eyes once again.

"No problem," she said, walking back to the front door. "Enjoy yourself, okay?" Having said that, Buffy walked out the door and closed it behind her. William heard her lock the door before heading down the steps.

As he sat in her living room on her very comfortable sofa, William couldn't help but feel out of place. He had never imagined that he would be brought to the year 2004, and now that he was here he had no clue what to do.

Several important questions still remained - how did he really get here? How long was he here for? What would he do if he was stuck in the year 2004 forever?

However, the question that bothered him the most was, why was Buffy acting so distant? William had noticed her attempts to keep herself distanced from him, both physically and emotionally. He wasn't an idiot, and he could tell that she was very skittish around him.

Could it be because she was afraid he would act like Warren? Well, William knew without a doubt that the answer to that was a strong "no," and would tell her just that when she got home. But if it wasn't that, what else could it be?

_Could it be that she doesn't want me here?_ William asked himself. _Why else would she be acting so strange? _

William thought about the possible reasons why she might be acting so bizarre, but couldn't come up with anything definite. However, William was sure of one thing. After reading her inner thoughts and openness in their journal for over three months, he could tell that she wasn't acting like herself.

_I will just have to ask her once she arrives_, William thought to himself. "Now, let's see if I can get this television to work properly."

He hit the red button on the top right side of the remote control and instantly, the big, black box several feet in front of him, was filled with bright colors, people, and very loud sounds. William immediately turned down the sound until it was a comfortable level for his hearing, and then looked on in awe at the movements on the screen.

"This is absolutely incredible," he whispered, watching a pair of people drive a car that was very similar to Buffy's. "What an amazing invention."

William hit the channel button, and the picture immediately changed to one of lions, zebras, and elephants in what must be Africa, he assumed. A little box in the corner of the screen read "Animal Planet."

He changed channels a few more times, interested in seeing what other types of programs there were. He quickly changed channels from a woman selling jewelry and talking very quickly, to a fast-talking man standing on some device that was moving back and forth, and then again to a man who was cooking in front of a small crowd while he yelled "bam!" every other second.

_These Americans are very weird_, William couldn't help but think as he continued to change channels. Most of what he viewed seemed very unappealing to him. He did a double take when he came to a scene with a man and woman lying in bed together and couldn't help but look on in shock at what the scene implied.

_How on earth can they show something so personal? _William wondered. "Ah, this must be one of these 'soap operas' Buffy told me about," he realized as he began to change the channel once again.

Finally, he came to a channel that had a three-letter logo all in blocks - BBC. People were walking around in dress that was much more familiar to William than what he had seen earlier at the mall, and they were talking with the accent he was so accustomed to hearing.

"Oh! Yes. Mr. Darcy is uncommonly kind to Mr. Bingley, and takes a prodigious deal of care of him," a brunette woman spoke with much conviction.

"Care of him! Yes, Elizabeth, I really believe Darcy _does _take care of him in those points where he most wants care. From something that he told me in our journey hither, I have reason to think Bingley very much indebted to him," the man replied as he crossed the room.

William smiled, recognizing the scene that was playing before him at once. "This is lovely," he said. "A reenactment of Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_. Perhaps these Americans do not have such strange tastes after all."

As William became more taken by the novel being brought to life before his eyes, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar sound. He realized that it was Buffy unlocking the door, and he rose to open the door for her.

"Wha-Oh, thanks William," Buffy said, struggling to keep the sandwich bags and purse in her hands without dropping anything.

"Of course. Here, let me take these bags from you," William said, reaching out and helping Buffy inside.

"Thank you," she said. She looked at the TV, wondering what he was watching. "I see you've figured out the television without too many problems. What are you watching?"

"It looks to be a reenactment of Pride and Prejudice, a novel written by Jane Austen," William explained. "My mother enjoys that novel very much, and I am pleased to see that this is quite similar to the actual novel."

Buffy nodded, having only heard of the book, but never read it. "That's great." She looked at what channel it was on and smiled. "I have a feeling you will be watching that channel again very soon."

"Why is that?" He asked as he walked to the kitchen and set the bags down on the table.

"It's a British entertainment channel," she explained. "All British programs, all the time."

"How fascinating," he said. He sat down at the table and began to open one of the bags. "Are you not going to sit down and eat with me?"

Buffy wistfully stared at him, wishing she could. "I'm sorry, William. But it looks like I need to head into work to deal with a situation. Willow just called me on her cell, and there is a client who needs a painting ready sometime next week rather than next month," she explained. "I need to go see if I can talk him out of it, since I can't have it ready that soon."

"Must you go now?" William asked, slightly disappointed that they would not be spending their first day together.

Buffy looked into the other bag to make sure she had the right one to take with her. "I'm so sorry, William. But I will try to be home as soon as possible. And I would bring you with me, but..."

"But you are not ready to introduce me to your co-workers?" William finished for her, understanding how awkward that might be. "Completely understandable, Buffy. I will be here waiting for your return."

"Thanks for understanding, William," she said. "And I'll run by Blockbuster on the way home and pick up a few movies we can watch tonight, okay?"

"Alright," he agreed, smiling towards her.

Buffy paused, trying to resist the urge to reach out and touch him, hug him, or even squeeze his hand - anything to simply touch him. How she wanted to so badly. At the last minute, she pulled back and started heading towards the front door. "I'll eat on the way there," she said. "And be back as soon as possible."

TBC...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Buffy didn't arrive back at her apartment until close to 5:00. After arguing with her very unrelenting client, the two finally compromised by agreeing that Buffy would have the painting completed in two week's time. Since the deadline was now two weeks earlier than she had originally planned, Buffy decided to go ahead and get a head start on things while she was there.

Buffy had lost track of time while she painted, as usual. Willow had finally reminded her that she had been there for over three hours and asked her when she planned on going back home. She ran by the video store, like she said she would, and picked up three movies that she thought might interest William - "Titanic," "The Four Feathers," and the first "Lord of the Rings," simply for it's stunning visual effects that she had talked about in several of their writings. She also stopped by the grocery store and picked up some items she needed to make dinner.

She arrived back at her apartment and, after greeting William, started working on dinner. Buffy fixed her favorite, and the best dish that she knew how to create: a grilled chicken alfredo pasta, and something that William had never had before. Their dinner, like breakfast was silent for the most part, neither one knowing what to say to each other in person.

For the most part, both of them were too busy thinking through dinner to attempt to carry on a conversation. Buffy's worry had grown tenfold when she thought that perhaps William's visit was only supposed to last a day and she would wake up tomorrow morning with him having vanished sometime in the night. William, for the most part, was perplexed as to why Buffy was so silent and closed off around him. Furthermore, while being left alone for the afternoon, he had begun to worry about his sister and mother. True, not even a full day had passed since he arrived in 2004, but he knew that they would both be worried when they woke up to find him missing.

After the two finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, Buffy decided that it was time to introduce William to the marvels of motion pictures. "I hope you like what I picked out," she said, as she picked up the DVD cases from the kitchen counter.

"I am certain I will," William agreed.

"Oh, but first...we need some munchies," she explained, before pulling out a bag from the pantry. "Remember how I was telling you how we always have popcorn when we watch movies around here?" William nodded.

Buffy placed the bag in the microwave and hit the preset "popcorn" button. "Here you go, your first experience with the miracle called the 'microwave.'"

She left William standing in front of the microwave and walked over the fridge to grab a couple of drinks from inside the door. Buffy turned and looked at William's look of amazement as he focused very intently on the spinning bag of popcorn.

"Careful," she warned. "If you stand there directly in front of it, the radiation is going to leak into you."

Hearing that, William's eyes widened and he took a giant step back from the microwave. "Buffy! Why didn't you tell me that when you started it?"

Buffy smiled smugly before laughing a bit at his reaction to her statement. She hadn't been able to resist teasing him. "Sorry, William, it's just a joke. Mom always used to tell that to Dawnie and me so we wouldn't stand directly in front of the microwave the entire time. Seems like it worked pretty well on you."

William smiled and chuckled at himself. "I suspect that you would be able to get that reaction from me regarding most of these inventions very easily."

"Yeah, you're an easy mark, alright," Buffy agreed, pulling out a bowl from the cabinet. "But I'll try to restrain myself."

"Thank you very much," William responded, jumping slightly when the microwave ding-ed, signaling it's completion. "Is everything so loud in the 21st century?"

Buffy shrugged. It didn't seem loud to her, but she had been hearing these noises since she was born and knew how to tune things out. William, on the other hand, was new to everything, and she had no doubt that the bombardment of new noises was a challenge to become accustomed to hearing. "You get used to it eventually."

Buffy just wondered if William would be here long enough to have time to get used to everything.

She walked over to the microwave and took out the bag of popcorn. She opened it and dumped it into the bowl. "You can't watch a movie without popcorn," she stated. "It's the must-have munchie. Here, try some."

William suspiciously eyed the bowl. "Is it...good?"

"Yep! Full of buttery goodness."

William reached out and took three kernels of popcorn and carefully ate them. "It is different, but...slightly appealing," he announced.

"Great. Now, c'mon, I got some movies that you cannot miss," Buffy said.

* * *

They had watched "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" first, and before they had even reached the halfway point of the movie, Buffy knew that she would soon be returning to the rental store for the final two movies.

William was like an eager child who wanted to learn everything, asking how they could do this, how they were able to achieve that, and so on. He was especially interested in how the creators managed to change the scale of the actors' sizes, as well as the breathtaking view of the Elves' forest and waterfalls. Buffy wasn't entirely sure about all of the effects in the movie herself, so she made a mental note to show him how to work the bonus features so he could watch them while she was at work tomorrow.

Buffy noticed that William ate more popcorn than she did, and was just content to watch him and his reactions to the movie. _Look how quickly he has caught on to everything_, she thought to herself. _No one else would have been able to keep up in this century with such ease, except for William. _

Out of the corner of his eye, William noticed Buffy spending most of her time watching him rather than the movie. Finally, he turned his head to look at her and asked, "Yes?"

Buffy blushed at being caught staring at him, and quickly lowered her eyes. "Nothing."

Three hours after the first movie, their popcorn bowl was empty and William's mind was racing. Never before had he ever dreamed of seeing such different worlds, completely made-up worlds that did not exist at all, brought to life for everyone to see. "This was incredible," he said at the end.

Buffy nodded. "Yes, we thought so too when it came out. I'll make sure to go by and get the last two tomorrow after work."

William nodded, very much looking forward to seeing what would happen with Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Fellowship. "And you say that these all began as novels?"

"Yeah, they sure did. Would you like to read them as well?"

He nodded once again. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble-"

"No, no trouble at all." Buffy added to her mental list to run by a bookstore as well to pick up the three books. She had a feeling that William would really enjoy reading Tolkein. She opened the DVD player and took out the disk, placing it back in its case. Buffy glanced at the time and saw that it was nearing 10:00 and was somewhat surprised that the day had gone by so quickly. While part of her was dreading going to sleep, not knowing what was to come, another part of her was eager to get it over with and see if William would still be with her tomorrow. "Do you want to start another movie?"

"Do you not have work tomorrow?"

"Yes, I do, but I can get by with a little less sleep than usual," Buffy assured him. Buffy took out the next movie, _Titanic_, and popped it in. "Now, this happens in like...1912 or something, for real. So...if you wind up going back to 1882, you can't tell anyone about this."

William looked at her in surprise. "Honestly? What is this movie about?"

Buffy sat back down on the couch fairly close to him. "You'll see."

Another three hours later, both William and Buffy were fighting back tears. Even though Buffy had seen the movie several times before, seeing the destruction of the ocean liner always moved her to tears. William had enjoyed the movie, although he had blushed to the redness of a tomato at the intimate scenes between the two main characters. Buffy quickly said, "oops! I forgot about that part," and covered William's eyes until the moments had passed.

"This is awful," William finally spoke as the ship began to sink in the water. "This truly happens?"

"Yes," Buffy said with regret. "It was so sad, and stupid of them too."

"But all those people," William began. "Why would they recreate something so tragic?"

"Well, this is just a movie, William, so nothing actually happened to these people in particular. They're just actors and this is just Hollywood magic and special effects," Buffy explained. "But the real people, yes...it was tragic."

"That is quite depressing," William said.

Several more minutes passed in silence as they watched the rest of the movie play out. When Rose, now the young woman she once was, walked up the stairs to Jack, Buffy couldn't help but close her eyes, letting several tears fall down her cheeks. She glanced over at William, who was watching her with a look of concern and dare she think it - love? and quickly wiped the tears away.

"Sorry, I always cry in movies," she said. "No matter how many times I've seen them, I always cry." Instead of getting up, she let the movie play into the closing credits, where the much over-played "My Heart Will Go On" love song came on. "Oh, this song...overplayed on every radio station across the nation," Buffy explained.

"Oh really?" William asked, listening to the song while keeping his attention on Buffy. "Simply because of the movie?"

She nodded, unconsciously moving closer to William. "This movie did crazy-good at the box office, brought in millions upon millions."

"That is an unbelievable amount for just a movie."

Buffy shook her head. "Not as much as you think. Inflation and all have just made the prices of everything much higher. I mean, look at the price for all the clothes we got today."

William gathered his courage and placed his hand overtop of hers. "Yes, I did notice how expensive clothing is today. Thank you, again." When she did not immediately move away, hope began to rise in his chest, thinking that perhaps they were finally headed in the right direction.

Buffy fell silent, feeling the heavy weight of his palm resting over her hand, taking a second to delight in the solid feeling, his warmth, and just how right it all felt. They had moved closer together on the couch while watching the last movie, and Buffy realized that it would be so simple to just lean forward and -

She quickly pulled away and stood up from the couch. She walked over to the DVD player and shut it off, turning the TV off along with it. "Well, it's pretty late, since we just watched two of the longest movies in movie history. I need to head on to bed since I do have to go into work tomorrow morning."

William looked at her, surprised by her sudden movements. Perhaps he had misread her after all? Maybe she simply wasn't interested in his being here. "I-alright," he finally spoke.

Buffy looked at the confusion that was clear on his face and wished it could be different. Turning on her heel, she began walking back to her bedroom, clearly upset and stressed. "Good night, William."

"Goodnight, Buffy," William answered, rising from the couch and heading into the guestroom, all the while wondering what he had just done wrong.

* * *

The next morning, Buffy awoke to her buzzing alarm clock and slowly sat up in preparation to head into work. As much as she wanted to call in sick again, she knew that she needed to get to work on that commission for her client.

_And I should go check on William, _she thought as she sat in bed. _I should make sure that he got to bed alright and..._

And what? It probably wouldn't be very bright of her to just walk into his bedroom and see how he was doing. If he woke up while she was in there, chances were he might overreact considering his gentlemanly values. And that was the last thing she needed to do, something to worry him even more.

After last night's hot-and-cold act, she had no doubt that he would be put off by her attitude from here on out.

But that's when another thought hit her - perhaps he wasn't even here anymore. What if he had been sent back to 1882 while they had been sleeping? She would never be able to say everything that she had been longing to say ever since she first saw him sitting on her bedroom floor.

Throwing back the covers, Buffy rose and threw on her bathrobe so the sight of her nightgown wouldn't cause any more embarrassment like yesterday. She ran her fingers through her hair to flatten it against her head and then opened her bedroom door. She heard sounds coming from the kitchen and felt a giant wave of relief rush through her.

William was still here, and he hadn't gone back to his time. _Thank you, thank you, thank you, _Buffy thought as she wandered closer to the kitchen, hoping that he wasn't in the process of burning her apartment to the ground.

"Good morning," she said when she walked into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw William attempting to fix what looked like breakfast.

William spun around from the stove, the surprise evident on his face. "Buffy! You startled me," he said.

"That's pretty obvious," she said, walking closer towards him. He was already dressed for the day in a pair of light khakis and collared shirt. To him, it must have felt very different than his typical 1882 outfits, but _on _him..., _it looked good_, Buffy thought.

"I, uh, was trying to fix breakfast for the two of us," William said, holding a spatchula. "Unfortunately, I am not doing very well, even though I watched you very closely yesterday."

Buffy felt her heart jump, knowing that he had tried to cook breakfast for her. None of her previous boyfriends had ever done that for her, she realized. And even though William's attempt at breakfast seemed to be a failure for the most part, his intentions came loud and clear. She fought the urge to hug him, and instead asked, "How long have you been up?"

"Since sunrise," William answered. "I watched a little bit of television and then when it was 7:00, I decided I would start breakfast in hopes of having it ready by the time you came out."

Again, his consideration for her made Buffy's knees feel weak. How on earth, with everything that had been going on yesterday morning, had he been able to remember the time that her alarm clock had gone off? She asked him that very question and looked expectantly for an answer.

William lowered his head in embarrassment and finally answered. "How could I not remember the first time I ever saw you?"

_Don't fall for him, Summers_, she told herself. _Don't do it. He could be gone tomorrow or a week from now, or..._and then another part of her whispered, _never_.

"Well, thank you for thinking of me," Buffy said. "Would you like some help?"

William nodded. "Yes, please."

Buffy showed him how to control the stove's temperature better and how to flip the eggs. Although she wasn't the best cook in the world by any means, she could at least get through a simple breakfast successfully. "There, do you think you can handle it from there?"

"Yes, I do believe so. Now, why don't you get ready for your day at work, and I shall finish cooking?"

Buffy nodded and turned to head back into her room. She knew that if her mother had just heard their conversation, her only response would have been, "That one is a keeper, Buffy. Grab onto him tightly, and don't ever let go."

Unfortunately, whether she got to keep him or not might not be her decision in the end.

* * *

After taking a shower, blow drying her hair, and putting a little bit of make up on her eyes and cheeks, Buffy stepped out of her room with a look of confidence and readiness to face the world. Or, in this case, William.

When she walked back into the kitchen, William had cleared off the table from last night's dinner and set the table for breakfast.

Buffy smiled at him as she sat down at the table across from him. What she wouldn't give to have this every day of the week with him. "William, I can't believe you figured all of this out," she truthfully said.

"Well, after reading so much about it from our writings and then watching you yesterday morning, I assumed it could not be that difficult," he said. "Although I was not quite right, I felt like I did eventually understand what to do."

She smiled and looked down at her plate where her eggs and toast were still steaming from the heat. "Well, thank you."

The two began eating and very quickly thereafter polished everything off.

* * *

"Okay, now I'm going to be at work all day," Buffy said, as she picked up her purse, tote bag, and keys. "Are you going to be alright here?"

William nodded and followed her to the front door. "Yes, I shall be fine. I have the television and understand how most of the kitchen works."

"Good," Buffy replied.

William reached out and grabbed Buffy's coat from the coat rack by the door. He held it open for her and let her slide her arms inside. He lightly slid his hands up her arms and patted her shoulders as she adjusted her jacket. He marveled over how domestic and how pleasant this was, helping Buffy off to work. Even though in his time, the man of the house would never send his wife off to a job, it seemed strangely fitting for the two of them.

As he came to lightly rest his hands on top her shoulders, William could feel her body tightening, as if preparing for the worst. He removed his hands, wondering what she was thinking at that moment.

"Sorry," Buffy apologized. "I, uh, I just need to get on to work."

"Yes, I understand," he lied. "Buffy, I was wondering if you might be able to show me the computer this evening?"

Buffy looked at him, wondering why he would ask such a thing. She almost wanted to say, _well, it's not like you're going to need that information when you get sent back to 1882_. But, instead she smiled and nodded. "Sure thing," she replied. "I'll show you my very obsolete computer this evening."

"Alright. Have a pleasant day at work," William replied.

"Thank you," Buffy said, opening the front door and heading out.

William closed the door and locked it behind her. Sure, it had only been twenty-four hours since he was brought to 2004, but it looked as if it was going to be quite possible that he would never fully understand Buffy Summers.

* * *

TBC 

Thank you all for the feedback and reviews! Also, I would like to point out that only a little over 24 hours has passed since Buffy and William first met. I know that it took me several chapters to get through their first day, but I really wanted to get into Buffy and let her feelings be known - don't worry, things will start to change for them very, very soon, but I had to have some realistic angst and confusion on her part. This ends with the start of day 2, we'll see how things progress!

So you all know what to do - feed me! An author loves to hear what her readers are thinking, and I especially love it! Thank you!


	15. Chapter 15

And by no means do I think I will win, but my story is up against another for the featured Fic BSC. If you enjoy the story and are so inclined to, I'd love it if you could cast your vote for it here: www . livejournal . com / community / bscentral (just take out the spaces in between every word...b/c is stupid.)

Buffy drove to work, trying to figure out if she should say anything about William to either Willow or Anya. She wasn't entirely sure who was supposed to be working with her this morning, so she told herself that if Willow was there, she would talk to her, and if it was Anya, she would not. It wasn't that she didn't like Anya, it was just that Willow knew her best. If anyone could help her, it would be practical and wise Willow.

She cursed when she saw both Willow and Anya's cars in the parking lot. _Figures,_ she thought to herself, since she had been hoping that she wouldn't have to say anything after all. Should she say anything with both of them there? Buffy just wasn't sure if she could handle Anya's lack of tact after everything else she had been through in the last twenty-four hours.

When Buffy walked inside, both Anya and Willow were sitting at her desk, both leaning over and writing something on a pad of paper from what she could tell.

"Good morning, Buffy," Willow greeted.

"Hi, Buffy," Anya said, briefly waving before going back to what they had been doing before Buffy walked in.

"Hey, Will, Anya," Buffy replied. When she neared the desk, she realized that her friends were in the middle of playing tic-tac-toe. _Yep, those are my hard working employees, all right_, she thought.

"How are you?" Willow asked.

_Confused about how to act towards William. Worried that he's going to disappear before my eyes. Angry with myself that I can't get up enough courage to actually do something about how I feel towards him, _Buffy thought. _Gee, guys, take your pick, seriously.  
_  
"I'm pretty good," Buffy finally answered. "I didn't sleep very well last night, but I'll make it through the day."

Which was the truth. With William sleeping just a room away and the possibility that he might disappear sometime in the middle of the night, Buffy had wound up tossing and turning for hours before finally drifting off in a restless sleep.

"Sorry to hear that, Buffy," Anya replied, frowning. "You should try taking some Nyquil, that always puts me right to sleep."

"Thanks, Anya, I'll keep that in mind."

"But at least all you have to do today is work on the painting for Mr. Harrison," Willow pointed out.

"That's true. And if you and Anya don't mind, I think that I will take the evening off, say around 6:00?"

"Sounds fine to me," Anya said.

Willow nodded. "Sure, that's fine."

A wicked gleam formed in Anya's eye before she asked, "Any specific reason why?"

Buffy shrugged off her coat and placed it on the back of her chair. "What? Can't a girl just take the evening off and relax at home?"

Now Willow and Anya both eyed her skeptically.

"Okay, okay, fine," Buffy muttered. "I never could handle the tell-me-now Willow face."

"Goodie! I knew something was up. Now, tell me, tell me."

Both Willow and Anya sat down as Anya stated, "I am always up for some girl talk, especially if it involves sex."

Buffy blushed. Oh God, she couldn't even think of what William's reaction would be to how open everyone was about sex these days. _He would be as red as a beet_, Buffy thought. If she ever had the opportunity to introduce him to her friends, she would have to place a strict "no talking about sex" order on Anya.

"Anya, not everything has to do with sex," Willow said, rolling her eyes.

"To me, it does," she proudly stated.

"It would."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Willow and Anya had a tendency to get on each other's nerves when talking together. Having Xander as the main commonality between them, there were times when both girls were jealous about the other's relationship with him. Times like now, when neither could resist prodding at one another, were the moments when Buffy wished she wasn't around to listen.

"Willow's right, it has nothing to do with sex," Buffy said, hoping to end their little spat.

Anya looked disappointed and slumped in her chair. "Well, this won't be nearly as interesting, but go ahead. I'm listening."

Buffy sat down in her desk chair. "Okay, but what I'm getting ready to tell you, you can't tell anyone else, promise?"

"Cross my heart."

"Promise."

Buffy paused, making sure that she was making the right decision. "Okay, here goes. William, do you remember him?"

"Sure, your pen pal."

"Yeah, right. Well, he is...he's visiting."

Willow's eyes doubled in size and she sat back in the other chair. "Wow, you mean he's here right now?"

Buffy nodded. "He's staying at my apartment right now."

"Wow."

"Sounds like it's about having sex to me," Anya stated.

"Anya!" Buffy exclaimed. "There is going to be no _having _with the sex. He's just here visiting."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Anya muttered to herself.

"Wow," Willow repeated. She was very surprised that Buffy had decided to invite William to stay at her house so soon after they had just began writing to each other.

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, I think we covered the wow-ness of this situation, Will."

"So, whose idea was this?" Anya asked.

"I guess both of ours. It just seemed like, with the holiday coming up...why not?" Buffy felt horrible lying to her best friends, but knew that she could never tell either of them the whole truth.

"How long is he staying for?"

_Isn't that the ten thousand-dollar question?_ Buffy thought sarcastically. "We aren't too sure. We're just taking things day by day, trying to see if...I guess, if this is what we want."

"And...how is he?"

"You mean is he just like Warren?" Buffy asked, knowing that's what Willow had wanted to ask more than anything else.

"Well..."

"William is a gentleman, I told you that months ago, Will," Buffy said defensively. Although she wasn't too sure of how things were between the two of them, she was still willing to defend him against her friend's accusations.

Willow looked at Buffy for a moment, noticing how seriously she was in regard to William's nature. "Well, then I hope everything works out for the two of you."

"Me too," Anya said.

"Thanks, Willow." _Me too.  
_  
"And then you two can have many happy orgasms together like Xander and I do," Anya finished.

The other two groaned, Buffy covering her face in embarrassment. _How does Xander put up with it day after day? _she asked. _But, then again, this is almost like Anya's form of giving us her blessing._ "Gee, uh...thanks?"

"You're welcome."

"Oh, last question?" Willow asked.

"Shoot."

"What does he look like?" Willow asked. "Is he what you picture when you write to him or the complete opposite?"

"Oh yeah, is he a hottie?" Anya asked. "Salty goodness and all of that good stuff?"

"Remember that painting you did a couple months ago?" Willow asked, thinking of it herself. "Does it look anything like him? Because - y'know, coincidence if it does."

Buffy thought back to her painting of William that she had created when they had first begun to write to each other. It was back in her gallery safely protected behind a few thick blankets. She had refused to sell it, yet felt strange about hanging a portrait of what in all likelihood looked nothing like him.

However, when she thought back to it, she realized that her painting was not so off from what William actually looked like.

She had painted his hair slightly longer in her portrait, and his cheekbones not quite as sharp as they were in real life, but the color of his eyes...

She distinctly remembered painting that brilliant azure shade of blue for his eyes, and then the minute she had finished painting, she had been unable to come up with that exact color again no matter how much mixing she had tried.

And that shade of blue was the exact same shade as William's.

_Wow_, Buffy thought. _What the frilly heck is going on here?  
_  
"You know, he doesn't look that dissimilar from my painting actually," Buffy finally said. "In fact, the similarities are slightly eerie."

"But is he hot?" Anya asked again.

Buffy thought back to seeing his dark blonde curls, his sharp cheekbones, and that mysterious, ever-changing shade of blue. _God, I would love to paint him for real, _she suddenly thought. "He's...well, I wouldn't call it hot, Anya. I guess I would say...beautiful."

Both girls seemed impressed with that, well, before Anya went "pfft!" and rolled her eyes. "Please, guys aren't suppose to be beautiful. That's our job."

"Well, that's the best word I can think to use," Buffy admitted. "His eyes are just beautiful. He has cheekbones that you could cut glass on, and he's just so..."

_He's _so _not going to be here for very long, you keep telling yourself that,_ her inner pessimistic voice told her.

"Somebody's got it bad," Anya softly said to Willow. "If it's not about sex now, it will be before too long."

Willow nodded. She could tell by that dazed look in Buffy's eyes and that half-smile on her face that her best friend definitely had deeper feelings for William Stafford than she was telling either of them. "Well, Buffy, I'm glad that you two will get to spend Christmas together."

Buffy froze - Christmas! She had completely forgotten about that! Now that he was here, assuming he was going to stay, she would have to get him a Christmas present. And how was she going to explain William to Dawn? "Yeah, only I have to get him a gift," Buffy told her friend.

"Well, that shouldn't be too bad," Anya said. "Just get something sexy for yourself, guys like that."

Buffy quickly shook her head, thinking back to their first morning together when William saw her in one of her more conservative silk nightgowns. If he couldn't handle that, there was no way that he would be able to handle seeing even more of her skin. "I don't think so. I mean, we've only known each other for three months, and that was just through our writing."

"Well, then what does he like?"

"I have no idea," Buffy admitted. And, for the most part, that was true. Because while she did know what he did like in 1882, she had no idea what he might like that was in the year 2004. "I'll just have to go searching for something."

"Maybe he'd like something from Sharper Image," Willow suggested. "We've gotten gifts for Xander there in the past."

Buffy chuckled. _Right_, she sarcastically thought. _I can just see William's response to over half of the objects in that store. _Complete and utter confusion. "I'll check it out, Will. Thanks for listening."

"No problem," she answered. "And Buffy? If this is a good guy, then I'm really happy for you, even though he does live in an entirely different country."

_And different era,_ Buffy thought dryly. "Thanks."

The two girls stood and walked out of the front room, most likely going to gossip and make more assumptions about her relationship with William. Buffy picked up the phone at the front desk and dialed the number to her apartment. She let the phone ring, figuring that it was very likely that William wouldn't know what the sound was or where it was coming from.

When the answering machine message came on and it beeped for Buffy to leave a message, she began to speak. "William? It's Buffy. I know you're there. Look, do you see the black thing in the living room table beside the couch? Pick that up, it's the telephone. Sorry, I guess I should have gone over that with you-"

"Buffy?"

_Thank goodness he didn't leave the house out of fear_, Buffy thought. "Yeah, it's me."

"This is the telephone? It hardly looks anything like what they do now," William said. "Or, I suppose when I say 'now,' I mean 1882."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said.

"No, it is quite alright," he said. "Buffy, this is extraordinary. It is like you are right here with me and we are having a conversation together in person. Telephones are quite advanced."

Buffy smiled at his eagerness over seeing how much something that was considered a brand new invention in his time had developed and changed over 100 years later. She always enjoyed hearing his excitement over new or updated objects in 2004. "Yeah, phones are pretty cool. Anyway, I should have explained all of that to you yesterday," she apologized. "I didn't even think...well, I didn't really think that I would need to explain even half of this stuff to you."

There was a beat of silence on the phone where she could tell that William was trying to digest what she had just said. "Buffy? Did you think that I would not be here for very long?"

Buffy sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand, wishing now that she hadn't said what she did. "Look, can we not talk about this on the phone? I...I don't know what I meant by that."

She could tell from William's silence that he did not believe her words for one second.

"May I ask why you are calling, Buffy?" He asked.

"I just wondered what I should pick up for dinner?" She asked. "I won't be home for several more hours, until around 6, but I will pick up some food on the way home. Is there anything in particular that you would like to try?"

William paused, trying to think through all the different foods that were now available to him. "I did just see an advertisement for Chinese food that looked quite appealing."

"Okay, Chinese it is then. I'll try to be home around 6:30."

"Alright, I'll look forward to seeing you then."

Buffy frowned, although William couldn't see her expression. "Yeah, same here," she said with little enthusiasm.

"Buffy, are you quite certain that you are alright?"

"Yes, I am William, thank you," she answered. "I'll be home later on tonight."

The two said their good-byes and hung up the phone, neither one particularly happy by the end of their conversation.

* * *

Buffy walked in a little after 6:30 with a big bag of Chinese food in her hands. "William, I'm home," she announced, loving how wonderful it felt to announce her presence to someone waiting for her to return. 

William came out of his bedroom and smiled. "Good evening," he said, walking up and taking the plastic bag out of her hands. "Did you have a productive day at work?"

"Yeah, it went pretty well," Buffy said. She began taking off her jacket when William spoke up.

"Here, let me help you with that."

"Oh, well...thanks," she said, turning back around and letting him help take her jacket off.

"You said that you are now working on a painting for one of your clients," William began as he hung up her jacket. "How did that go?"

"It went..." Buffy stopped mid-sentence, as the realization of just how very domesticated this scene was began to sink in. Here she was, coming home from a long day at work, as William casually asked how her day had gone. It was bizarre. It was unreal. And, like with everything else that the two had done in the last thirty-six hours, it felt like it would not - _could not_, last.

"Fine, it was fine," she finally said.

William immediately noticed her change of attitude. What the cause was, he didn't know however, since he hadn't said anything offensive. In fact, he had been nothing but polite and genuine since she arrived home.

"Are you alright?" William asked, the concern evident in his tone. When she didn't say anything in response, he continued to speak. "Does this perhaps have anything to do with what you said in our phone conversation earlier this day?"

Buffy stopped walking, unsure of what to tell him. How could she tell him in person about all of her conflicting feelings towards him? If it was in writing, sure; that was easy. But talking face-to-face in person was completely different and much harder to do.

"I don't want to talk about what I said earlier," Buffy softly said. She took the bag of Chinese food out of his hand and began to walk towards the kitchen.

"I have noticed that you are a bit...nervous, ever since I arrived," William remarked. "I have begun to wonder if that is merely because of my presence? If you do not want me here all of the time, I will try to find another place to stay."

"No, William, it's not you. I'm just...I'm just afraid."

"Of what?" He asked, taking a couple steps toward her. "What could you possibly be afraid of? You were not the one who was taken away from everything familiar to you, Buffy...away from your family and comforting surroundings, I was." William swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady, although he could feel the beginnings of despair creep upon him from thinking of his mother and sister. "Now, I do not know how I came to be here, but-"

Buffy dropped the bag of take-out food onto the floor and spun around. Her look was one mixed between anger and anguish. Tears welled in her eyes, and Buffy fought them off, trying not to let William see her cry. "But it won't last!" she exclaimed loudly.

William looked at her, clearly surprised by her outburst. "What? But-"

"It won't last," she repeated, this time with less anger in her tone and more despair. She felt a couple tears drip down her face but was past the point of caring, as she felt all of the worries that had been building up over the last two days begin to pour out of her. "I'm going to wake up one morning and you'll be gone, sent back to 1882 without me even knowing it. We don't know what really brought you here, so how can we possibly know what might be the trigger to send you back?

"And - and I can't handle it, not when it comes to you," she continued, feeling all the worry that had been building inside over the last couple of days coming rushing out even faster now. She felt her knees give way and fell to the floor, curling her legs beneath her and leaning back on the front of the couch as she carried on. "This, with you being here, is...is more than I ever dreamed of...all I - all I wanted, but I'm just waiting...waiting for you to be taken away from me. So here I sit, waiting for the other shoe to drop - to have whatever the hell brought you here take you back to 1882. Leaving me here, after...after I got a glimpse of what things might be like if...I'd be here. Alone."

William resisted his urge to reach out and wipe the tears from her cheeks. Instead, he slowly approached her and bent down on his knees to look at her. "Buffy, he softly began. "I highly doubt that I will be able to return to 1882. After all, we do not have to write to one another anymore since there is no need for it. Now, as much as I would like to say that this is a permanent change, we cannot say that for sure-"

"I know, William, and that's what worries me so much," Buffy confessed. "I can't...can't be with you for a month and then wake up and poof! You're gone."

"Well, I must say that it would be one month more than I ever thought we could have together," William admitted. "I am thankful for each and every day I have with you, Buffy."

"But what about your mother? And Emily-Grace?" Buffy asked. "You three are just so close and I can't be responsible for dragging you away from them."

"Trust me, you did no such thing," William said, trying to ease her guilt. "I admit, I miss them terribly, and I think about them quite often. It pains me to know that I will never see them again, that I will not be there to watch Emmy be married, or see any of my nephews or nieces."

Buffy listened to him, feeling fresh tears run down her face. "Oh, William, then you should be with them."

William was silent, as if considering what Buffy was saying. He softly chuckled and Buffy looked at him with a confused look on her face. What could he be possibly thinking that was funny at a time like this?

"I do not believe I wrote this to you in our journal," William began, "But on the day that I finally informed Mother and Emmy that we had been corresponding for several months, she came up to me in private and essentially gave me her blessing."

"She did?" Buffy softly asked.

William nodded. "Yes. I imagine that, with my absence, that they suspect I have decided to sail to America after all." At Buffy's look, he quickly explained. "I simply said that you lived in the States and we agreed never to meet since the trip was so involved. Emmy always thought that our situation was terribly romantic."

_Romantic, huh?_ Buffy thought. She patted her cheeks dry and raised her head to look into his eyes. "But with your mother being sick..." she tried again, wanting to make sure he knew what he was telling her. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions right now.

"Buffy, I do believe that I am in the year 2004 for good," he said. "And now..."

When his voice died off, she looked up, wondering what he was now trying to say. "Yes?"

"Shall we just see how things progress with the mindset that I am a permanent addition to the twenty-first century?" William asked.

Buffy leaned closer towards him, breathing him in - the smell of the soap he had used this morning, the after-shave she had bought for him at the mall, and something else that was uniquely...William. "And when you say 'things,'" she began softly. "Are you implying...us?"

William blushed and slightly nodded. "I believe that I would like that very much."

"As would I," she agreed.

William moved slightly to make himself more comfortable on the floor. "What do you propose we do now?" He asked.

Buffy took a deep breath and summoned up all of the courage she had left in her. "What I've been wanting to do ever since you got here," she said. "Can you just hold me?"

William tried not to blush - _I really must work on that, _he told himself, hoping he would eventually overcome his embarrassment with so many things in 2004. "Of course."

He wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders and breathed in her scent of vanilla and citrus. Both were instantly calmed at the contact, and the two leaned against each other as they tightened their grip around the other. Buffy slowly brought her arms up and wrapped them around his chest, pulling him as close as she was able to.

Part of William, the part of him that was raised in 1882, was screaming at him that this wasn't proper, but another part was telling him that everything was fine. This was Buffy and he was in the year 2004 now, not 1882 where the very idea of hugging a young and unmarried woman would be frowned upon.

You can guess which part of him won the inner battle.

For some reason, William thought back to when they had first signed their entries with different words - "yours." That afternoon when he had seen it for the first time, William had believed that it was a step in the right direction, although what direction he had not known. Tonight, he finally knew what direction it really was.

He was here in 2004 with Buffy Summers, holding the woman whom he never thought would even bat an eye in his direction. He didn't know how long he would be permitted to stay, but he would cherish every moment that he had with this beautiful woman. And although he missed his family - Emily-Grace's positive outlook on everything and his mother's serene presence, if this was his chance with Buffy, William knew that he must grab on and not give up without a fight. His mother would have wanted it that way, after all.

If their signature had been a small step, then their conversation and Buffy's breakdown this evening was a gigantic leap, and as William thought about how this could turn everything around, he realized that it was a jump in the right direction - one he was actually aware of.

"I do believe that our Chinese food is getting cold," William whispered, not making any motion to get up from where he sat. No, he wouldn't move unless she forced him to. And even then, he would fight to keep holding her in his arms.

Buffy sniffed and tightened her clasp around his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'll either reheat it or we can just order some new food."

"Are you certain?" William asked. He glanced at the bag and saw a dark stain coming from underneath the bag growing larger against the carpet.

"I'm sure," Buffy assured him softly, moving to rest her cheek against his shoulder. "Just...just don't let go yet, okay?"

"I promise," he whispered.

TBC...

See? Told you all it wouldn't be too mucy longer - yay! I hope you all really liked the chapter; I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially this last scene. Thank you all for the continual feedback - you guys ROCK!

Until then - you know the drill by now, please let me know what you thought of the newest developments in our favorite couple's relationship.

And finally - THANK YOU for voting for my story at the LJ poll - I'm just amazed there are so many people out there supporting this story. Honestly - thank you for everything, you guys!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

The next morning, Buffy woke up with a carefree feeling in her heart - something that she had not experienced for several days. After her emotional breakdown in front of William last night, the two had sat down and talked about everything that she had been concealing over the past two days. By the time they had finished talking, Buffy finally had a sense of confidence within herself that William's presence would be a permanent thing.

She took a shower, dressed, and styled her hair as usual. When she walked out of her bedroom, her stomach growled when she breathed in the delicious aromas of eggs cooking.

_God, what more could I ask for? _she thought as she walked down the hallway. _A perfect gentleman who cooks!_ As Buffy thought about William cooking breakfast for the second day in a row, it led her to think about how their roles in her house were completely reversed - William was cooking breakfast as Buffy got ready to head off to work for the day. Nevertheless, it seemed oddly fitting for what was already a very unconventional relationship.

"Good morning," she greeted when she walked into the kitchen. As she walked past the table, she noticed that he had a plate with several slices of toast already made, with the jar of jam sitting beside it. Again, Buffy thought about how lucky she was - and how stupid she was to not have realized it from minute one.

"Buffy, good morning," William replied, smiling at her before turning back towards the stove. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did." She came up to the stove and stood beside him, forcing herself to not reach out and grab onto him tightly, wanting to be in physical contact. "Did you need some help?"

"No, thank you. I think that I am finally beginning to understand how the stove works," he explained. "Although, I must confess that my first several attempts to properly cook our breakfast did not turn out successfully." He nodded towards the trashcan and Buffy noticed several slices of burnt toast.

Buffy smiled and once again realized how amazing it was that William was adapting so quickly to everything in her century. With the exception of his formal language, he almost appeared as if he almost completely fit in to the twenty-first century.

When William finished cooking and set the plates down on the table, Buffy helped herself to a portion of eggs and spread a bit of grape jelly on two pieces of toast before joining him at the table. "Thank you, again, for breakfast."

"Of course," William replied as he filled their glasses with juice. "It is the least I can do since you are allowing me to stay with you and are assisting me with everything."

After taking the first few bites of her breakfast, Buffy began to speak. "William, I was thinking of this while I was getting ready for work today. I was wondering, if you are alright with it, that we could to the Bronze tonight?"

"The Bronze? Ah, is that the nightclub that you wrote about several months ago?" He asked, as a look of curiosity began to spread on his features. William always had wondered what such a place looked like, since Buffy's description of the Bronze only made him that much more interested.

Buffy nodded, and smiled at the thought that he could remember so much about their writings. It was also a comfort for the two of them to actually be having a conversation rather than awkward silence. "Yeah, I was thinking we could go there and you could meet all of my friends. And as for them, I can finally prove that you're a real guy."

"That would be splendid," he answered.

"The music can get a bit loud," she warned, understanding that he wasn't entirely used to the loud noises everywhere. "So if it bothers you at all tonight, just let me know and we'll come back here, okay?"

William nodded, wondering if it would be anything like the horrendous music he had heard on the television yesterday. "Alright, I shall let you know."

"Great!" Buffy went back to eating a bit more and took a sip of her juice before saying, "So, Christmas is in ten days."

"Ah, so it is," William answered. Suddenly he wondered - where on earth would he be able to find her a present? Was this why she was bringing up the subject?

"I just wanted to let you know that Dawn will be coming home in five days," Buffy said. "She has a final on Monday morning but will be home sometime in the afternoon."

"Splendid! I will be looking forward to meeting Miss Dawn," William replied.

"Seriously?" Buffy asked in surprise. In the back of her mind, she was beginning to worry that he might be upset to have another person intruding in on their time together - there she went with that pessimistic attitude again! "I thought you might be somewhat...I don't know, upset."

"Not at all," he said. "You have written so much about her already, and how could I not like someone whom you love so dearly?"

Buffy sighed contentedly, thinking, _see? It gets me every time. His words and kindness are going to be the end of me one day. _"Great. Well, I just wanted to let you know in advance so if she walks in while I'm at work, you won't be too freaked out."

"Thank you for telling me then."

"Sure thing." Buffy wasn't too sure how to phrase her next question, so she simply decided to blurt it out. "Is there anything I can get you for Christmas?"

William looked up at her in surprise. He definitely hadn't thought that would have been one of the questions that she wanted to ask him. Nevertheless, the very fact that she would ask him what she could get for him, and at the same time not even hint towards anything for herself, just proved what a wonderful, kindhearted person Buffy was.

"Buffy, I believe that I have everything I need with me right here," William assured her. Although part of him wanted to see his sister and mother more than words could say, he didn't want to worry Buffy by voicing wishes that he knew she could not fulfill.

"Well, I just assumed that maybe you wanted...oh, I don't know...either something new or something really old? Something that reminded you of your time?" she suggested.

William reached out and placed his hand over hers, which was resting against the side of her glass. "All I ask is a peaceful Christmas with you and Miss Dawn, who I hope won't be too upset at my presence."

Buffy felt herself melt under his gaze and the touch of his hand over hers. God, this man could reduce her to a pile of mush with one look, and if he actually spoke, she was beyond help. Thank God she was sitting down so William couldn't see her knees shake in reaction to all of the compassionate words he spoke.

"Thank you," she quietly said, her words meaning much more than just his agreeing to a quiet Christmas at home.

The two went back to eating as their conversation came to a lull, as if often had while they had eaten together. However, this morning's silence was from a feeling of contentment, rather than the awkwardness that had clouded their interactions during the last two days. Both were delighted to simply be near each other and in the same company, with all of their feelings now out in the open.

William, especially, was overcome with joy that Buffy was finally acting like herself. _This_ was the Buffy Summers that William had imagined throughout all of their writings together. This Buffy was exciting, lively, strong-willed, and inexhaustible, and William was unable to fully express how thankful he was that he had finally gotten through to her.

"Do you ever miss the actual writing part?" Buffy asked him unexpectedly.

William took a sip of his orange juice and pondered over her words. "Do you mean from our journal?"

"Yes...I mean, I was thinking about it just right now." Buffy set down her fork to try and explain better. "I just...I used to write to you every day, you know? And very quickly, it became a very important part of my day-"

"And mine, as well."

Buffy blushed under his gaze, a gaze that was so intense and full of love. "And it's weird, because you're here, and that's like a million times better than writing only," Buffy said, trying to explain how she was beginning to feel. "But, sometimes..."

"You miss it?" He finished.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Stupid, huh?"

William shook his head. "No, that is not stupid at all. Very often I find that it is easier to say things through words than aloud, myself. Yes, there are times that I miss our correspondences as well."

"Really?"

"Yes. But I would not trade our days spent together for anything," he assured her.

"Me either," she quickly agreed.

William looked up to the clock that hung over the kitchen doorway, realizing what time it was and surprised that Buffy, on the other hand, did not. "As much as I would love to continue our conversation, Buffy, I do believe that you are a bit behind schedule."

Buffy looked up to the clock and jumped in surprise. Where had all the time gone? "Oh shi - shoot," she muttered. "Late again. Wonder what Willow will have to say about it this time?"

She quickly took another large gulp of orange juice and picked up her second piece of toast. "Oh gosh, I have to get moving."

William followed her to the front door, where he assisted her with her coat. He handed her the briefcase that sat by the door and when Buffy was ready to go outside, he asked, "Will you be home for supper this evening?"

Buffy nodded. "Of course. I'll be back around 6:30 to 7:00, depending on the traffic, and then later on after dinner we can head on out to the Bronze."

"I shall be looking forward to it, then."

"Okay..." Buffy started, unsure of how to say goodbye to them. Should she hug him? Should she kiss him? Sure, they had definitely crossed some barriers last night, but this was still 1882-William, and he wasn't as up front about some things that she and everyone else was in 2004 were. "Well..."

"Well, have a pleasant day at work," William replied, feeling somewhat nervous himself.

"Thank you," she said, straightening her jacket and pushing several loose strands of hair out of her face.

_Oh, screw it, _she thought before stepping closer to William and gently wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him slightly tense before relaxing and bringing up his own arms to mimic her position. Buffy and William both took another step towards each other, pressing against one another, as they closed their eyes in bliss. The two stood wrapped together for a beat longer before Buffy finally managed to make her way back to reality and remind herself that she was already running late and didn't want to walk into work any later than she had to.

"I'm sorry, I really have to go," she whispered, stepping back and opening the front door.

"I understand," William managed to reply. He was still inwardly reeling from feeling her pressed so tightly against him, breathing in the delicious aroma of her shampoo, soap, perfume, and having her finally be so open with him. William knew that he could never have asked for anything more; in fact, he knew that what was happening right now was more than he could have ever wished for. And he wouldn't take one second of it for granted.

"But I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" she asked, taking another step back but then reaching out to take his hand and tightly squeeze it - trying to do anything to keep a physical link with the man who was becoming such a vital part of her life so quickly.

Although it had been less than a week, Buffy found it simply amazing how innocent and light their relationship was while at the same time being so consuming - how simply holding each other's hand brought so much pleasure to both of them.

Nevertheless, Buffy realized that this was just what she needed after her failed relationship with Warren. She and William hadn't kissed even once and had only hugged twice; in fact, they had held hands more times in the past two days than she ever had with all of her past boyfriends combined. However, when it came to William, what was happening - and more importantly, the pace of their relationship - just seemed to fit. She knew that he would never pressure her into anything that she wasn't ready for; in fact, she would probably be the one who would have to step up the level of their relationship when the time came to it.

But Buffy didn't want to think about yet. She was having too much fun living in the now with William at her side. Not in 1882, not through a magical journal and desk, but physically by her side in 2004. She knew she was lucky. If the day ever did come that William was forced to return to 1882, Buffy was beginning to think that she might be able to go on as a stronger, happier woman - one who had seen what a loving relationship could really be like. And because of that, she would never take a single day - a single second - with William for granted, because life was too short to worry about things like that. William had made her see that last night, and there was no way she could ever thank him for opening up her eyes.

"Alright, I will be here," William replied. The edges of his mouth raised up in a quirky smile. "I suppose that was a rather obvious answer, as there would be no other place I could be."

"Let's hope not." Buffy squeezed his hand once more before breaking contact and letting her arm fall back to her side. "I'll try to call a couple times this afternoon, okay?"

"I look forward to hearing from you."

She smiled brightly before turning around and walking through the front door. As she heard William close and lock the door behind her, Buffy wondered if it would be too soon to call him the minute she stepped inside the gallery.

_Nah, probably not, _she happily thought.

* * *

Buffy rushed in the front door, hoping for once that Willow and Anya might be in the back room and she could get away with arriving thirty minutes late. However, her luck didn't seem to be with her, as they were both sitting near her desk and looking at her as she approached them.

"Nice of you to show up this morning," Willow greeted jokingly.

"Good morning, Ms. Tardy-pants," Anya added.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, you two," Buffy apologized.

"Traffic problems?" Willow asked. The expression on her face said she clearly wouldn't take that as a believable answer.

Buffy hesitated, wondering if she should try to use that as her excuse. Finally, she sighed and said, "No, I just lost track of time back at my apartment."

Anya spun around in Buffy's leather chair and looked at her. "Let me guess the real reason you were late. You got some early morning action in the shower, didn't you?"

"Anya!" Buffy exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock. Oh boy, she was going to have to put a lock on that girl's mouth for tonight. William would faint if he heard the words Anya spoke come out of her mouth!

"I mean, that's the reason I'm usually late to work," she went on saying.

Buffy groaned and looked over towards Willow, her expression a clear, "help me!"

Willow's only reaction was to send back an expression that clearly said, "you are on your own."

Buffy walked over and lightly slapped Anya on the arm. "Get out of my chair," she teasingly ordered as she set her briefcase onto the floor.

"Yes ma'am," she replied, getting up and walking around to sit on the edge of her desk. "So...how was he?"

Buffy blushed and dropped her head into her hands. "Anya! We have not had sex yet. And like I told you yesterday, not _everything _is about sex."

"But you want to, with William, right?"

Buffy tried to deny Anya's question, but when it came right down to things, Anya was correct. No, nothing would happen anytime in the next week or maybe even in the next two or three months, but eventually, Buffy would love to reach that level of intimacy with William. And even without having ever kissed the man, she knew that what they would eventually share together would be a million times better than what she'd had with Warren.

"Anyway, are you all up for some Bronze-ing tonight?" Buffy asked, hoping that Anya would drop the subject.

"In the middle of the week?" Willow asked. The Bronze was usually dead during the weeknights and the group usually didn't bother going.

"Well, it's just that I want to show William where we all hang out," Buffy explained. "And I really want you all to meet him. He's a wonderful guy, and you'll all really love him."

"Sure, count us in," Anya answered.

"Me too," Willow agreed. "I think Tara is free tonight, but I'll call you and let you know if she can't make it."

"Awesome. I can't wait for you guys to meet him," Buffy said. She really wanted to prove Willow wrong - that she could grab a great guy who was the complete antithesis of Warren Mears. But most of all, she did want to show off her new boyfriend.

_Wow...William is my boyfriend_, she thought in awe. Although she was thrilled that they had finally entered a dating aspect of their relationship, the simple word "boyfriend" seemed too...too 21st century to apply to what they had. Buffy reminded herself to ask William what he would use to explain their relationship.

"Alright, you two, let's get to work," Buffy said, letting both women know that the conversation about William was now over.

Willow and Anya stood up and walked out of the front room, and Buffy knew right away that the two were simply going back to one of their offices to continue gossiping about Buffy and her new romance. Buffy shrugged, thinking that it didn't matter - hey, at least she _finally _had some romance!

Buffy sat down in her chair and spun around to face her desk. She picked up the phone and dialed the number for her apartment.

Three rings later, a familiar voice picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," she replied, smiling at the sound of his voice. "I hope it's not too soon to call."

"Of course not," William assured her.

"Good. How are you, William?"

"Very well, thank you. And you?"

_Now that I'm talking to you? _"Just great."

* * *

Buffy arrived back at her apartment around 6:45, carrying a bag of take out from a small, family-run Italian restaurant that had the best manicotti she had ever tasted. She had gotten dinner for both herself and William, hoping that he would like Italian food.

"I'm home!" She called out when she walked through the doorway.

William walked out of his bedroom with a book in one hand and his glasses in the other. "Hey," he greeted.

Buffy mock-gasped. "Excuse me, but did you just say 'hey'?"

"I thought you might be a bit surprised by that greeting," William said, smiling at the amused expression on her face. "But, yes, even though I am a 19th century poet, I can easily adapt to your century's version of a greeting."

"You really are turning into quite the 21st century gentleman," she teased. First he says "hey" and then he even slightly mocks her? Yes, William was definitely beginning to catch onto how things worked around here.

"What did you bring for dinner?" William asked, taking the bag from her hand and helping her with her coat.

"Italian food. I hope you like it," she said.

"Well, it smells delicious," William stated. After hanging her jacket on the coat rack by the door, William reached out for her hand and pulled her alongside of him towards the kitchen.

"What are you reading?" Buffy asked as she followed him.

"A collection of poetry," he said. "I found it in your bookcase in the guest room this afternoon."

Buffy looked down at the book, wondering when and where she had managed to buy a book of poems. "Oh yeah, that was from one of my English classes back in college," she explained. "It was a fun class, and one of the few books that I decided not to sell back to the store."

"I have been enjoying it thoroughly," he said.

"Well, in that case, you should just keep it. Consider it yours."

William placed the book down on the counter alongside his glasses and the take-out bag. "Thank you."

Along with five books written by Tolkein, three books on inventions in the United States and Europe, and several collections of world events, William's book collection was definitely beginning to grow. Buffy hoped to take him to a bookstore one day and let him pick out other books to keep him busy while she was at work.

Buffy thought back to their conversations on the phone - all three of them! - and how she had felt this morning at breakfast. No other man had ever made her feel this way in such an early phase of the relationship. She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to feel his arms around her, to feel that safe feeling she felt only around him. Plus, she needed her William-huggage!

"No, William, thank you."

* * *

After dinner, Buffy excused herself to her room to change into something more suitable for the evening. She came back out thirty minutes later dressed in black slacks and a dark red, fitted, low-neck top. She had let her hair down for the evening, brushing it until it had shined in the mirror.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

William gazed at her new appearance, amazed that she could dress so conservatively one minute and then what bordered on scandalous and risqué the next. At least, for him. For other people, what Buffy was wearing would still be considered very conservative. "You look beautiful," he said.

"Thank you."

"Must I change for the evening as well?"

Buffy looked over his outfit - a pair of somewhat dark khakis and a navy blue collared shirt. With the exception of his posture, which was too straight and proper for a 21st century male, he looked as if he almost fit in perfectly. "You look great," she said. "C'mon, let's go."

Buffy grabbed her purse and opened the front door, waiting for William to follow out behind her.

William rose from the couch and followed her through the doorway and to her car. But as they drove to the Bronze, William's mind was still back in the living room. _She said I looked great_, he thought in amazement.

TBC...

* * *

So, there was some happy Wuffy love for you all - I hope everyone enjoyed! Thank you for the continuous reviews and just incredibly kind, encouraging words I have received. So please, keep it up and leave a review to brighten up this rainy, cold day. Thanks! 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

William could hear sounds coming from inside of the building before they were even outside of the front door. He had expected loud music, but this was bordering on the ridiculous. How could people even think, let alone talk, with such a loud racket?

"Okay, just let me know if the music bothers you," Buffy said, as she handed the bouncer a cover fee for both of them.

"It is quite loud," William stated, beginning to lose his confidence over his agreement to visit The Bronze.

"I'd like to think that you will get used to it," she said. "But if it bothers you-"

"Buffy, I will let you know the minute I am annoyed," he said, hoping to end her worry.

Buffy smiled. "Okay then. Shall we?"

"We shall." William held out his arm in hopes that Buffy would accept it and they could walk in together. Very quickly, Buffy reached out and wrapped her arm around his, loving how very special that made her feel.

The two walked through the door and Buffy led the way through the crowds of people. Still holding onto William's arm, Buffy could feel him tense at her side. She looked at him and then bit her lip, wondering if she might have brought him here before he was ready for it.

"Are you still okay?" She loudly asked near his ear.

"Yes. I, uh, I'm just trying to become adjusted to all of the sounds," William explained. "That and the sights."

"Sorry," Buffy replied, squeezing his hand. "I know you aren't used to hearing such loud noises back at home, right?"

"Well, there are loud noises every once in a while, but nothing along the lines of this," William said, raising his voice so he could be heard over the pounding beat of the music. He looked at the dance floor and then quickly looked away. "Do people really dance to music such as this?"

Buffy pointed to the dance floor, which wasn't even half-filled. "See? They're dancing. Although, I guess you would probably think of that as...bouncing around aimlessly."

"Yes, the thought did cross my mind," William agreed, with a small smile on his face. He looked at how closely the men and women were dancing together and quickly averted his eyes. "Buffy, I feel as if I should not be watching them."

Buffy looked at the dance floor, where couples were swaying provocatively to the loud beat of the music. "Um...yeah, about that," she started. "That's how a lot of us dance these days."

William made a "hmmph" sound in the back of his throat and kept his eyes away from the moving dance floor, thinking that he would never be able to dance like that, and especially with Buffy. "All of these people need some proper dancing lessons," he commented.

She shook her head and smiled, trying to picture William giving ballroom dancing lessons to a bunch of teens and 20-year-olds who could care less about "proper dancing." "Just don't look, okay?"

William nodded. "Shall we find your friends?"

Buffy nodded and walked closer towards the bar area, where she saw her four friends waiting for her at a table. "Okay, are you ready?"

"Ready as I will ever be, I imagine," William replied.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted when she walked up to the round table.

"Buffy, hi!" Willow answered first, waving from across the table. She looked at William standing beside her and smiled. He hadn't even said a word and for some reason, she already had a good feeling about him.

Everyone else welcomed Buffy, and Tara waved as well before Buffy pointed towards William. "Everyone, I'd like for you to meet William Stafford." Words of welcome were heard from around the table before Buffy continued on. "William, this is Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander." She pointed towards each person as she introduced him or her.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet all of you," William started. "Buffy has said so many nice things about you."

"C'mon, William," Xander said. "Pull up a chair and join us."

Both Buffy and William sat down in the barstools, continuing to keep their connection with each other by holding hands. "This is William's first time here in the States," Buffy explained. "He is visiting for the holidays."

"Well, I for one have to say that it is great having another man around in the group," Xander said. "It was getting to be a bit much with just all these women and estrogen around. Not that I'm complaining or anything, right William?"

William thought on Xander's words, unsure of what he should say in response. "Quite right," he finally answered.

"So, William, tell us more about yourself," Tara said, reaching out to take Willow's hand and silently asking her girlfriend if she too noticed the vibes between Buffy and William.

"Well, I live with my mother and sister in London," he said, obviously leaving out the year when he came from.

"Is it very different than here in the US?" Willow asked. She'd had always wanted to visit England but hadn't gotten the chance yet.

William smiled to himself, remembering the morning when his sister had asked the very same question. He squeezed Buffy's hand, thinking that it was amazing and fun that they had a secret joke between the two of them. "It has taken some time to adjust," he spoke truthfully. "However, I am quickly picking up on things."

Buffy raised her eyebrows hearing another 20th century phrase pass through William's lips. Wow, if he was already beginning to incorporate modern catch phrases into his everyday language then he really was catching onto things quickly.

"What do you do for a living, William?" Xander asked. He had heard the least about William since he didn't see Buffy as often as the women did. However, from what he had heard from Anya over the last few days, Xander had a pretty good feeling that this guy might stick around for a while.

"I am a poet."

"Oh, well that's nice," Tara said. "Willow and I took a class on Romantic era poetry, right baby?"

Willow smiled and then nodded, taking a moment to look at Tara and tell her that she did indeed see much more than meets the eye concerning the blonde couple. "Does that era of poetry inspire your own writing?"

William took a few seconds to look at the two women, sitting there smiling at one another as they held hands. Before his conversations with Buffy, he had never heard of a relationship between two people of the same gender. Buffy had explained a bit about what she termed "gay" and "lesbian" relationships and how heated the debate over the topic currently was in the US. At first, William had thought the notion of a same-gender relationship unnatural and weird, but seeing Willow and Tara sitting together looking perfectly normal and happy, quickly forced William to change his mind.

"Yes, I find that era of poetry much enjoyable," William said, sending a secret smile towards Buffy. After all, when he had read poetry it was still considered new and innovative, not something that was studied in a history course.

"Doesn't writing not pay very well?" Anya blurted out.

Anya eyed William suspiciously. Although he seemed like a very nice guy, there was something...different about him. Something that she could not place her finger on, but she could tell there was something not right with William. However, she would give Buffy the benefit of the doubt and give him a fair chance.

Xander shook his head. "Honey, how many times do I have to tell you that not everything is about money?"

Anya "hmm"ed as she thought it over in her head. "About half as many times as you tell me that not everything is about sex."

Buffy cringed, remembering that she never had gotten around to reminding Anya to try and work on her tact for the evening. "Anya!" she hissed across the table. If she had been sitting closer to her, Buffy would have kicked Anya's shin from underneath the table.

"What? I can't help it that I like to be so open about my sex life," Anya said defensively. "I mean, most men would be happy that their fiancée goes around telling everyone how big you-"

Xander reached up and covered her mouth, sending an apologetic look at the rest of the table, especially towards William. "I'm sorry about that. We're just going to go dance now."

Xander and Anya rose from the table and walked out to the dance floor while Buffy looked over at William with a concerned expression. William's eyes were wide in shock at Anya's explicit words, and Buffy made a mental note to seriously threaten the girl tomorrow morning.

"Are you okay?"

William slowly nodded. "Was she going to say that I think she was going to say?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes, unfortunately, Anya was absent from school during the days the class learned about tact."

"You'll get used to her eventually," Willow jumped in. "I mean, I...I almost have."

Tara rubbed her girlfriend's shoulders affectionately. "Oh sweetie, you like Anya, admit it. You just like to put on that tough girl air for old times sake."

Willow didn't answer, but all three women knew that Tara's words were very true.

"May I ask how long you two have been...courting?" William looked at Buffy and shrugged, unsure of what the modern day term was.

"Aww, courting. Is that what you all still call it over there?" Willow asked. "She and I have been together for almost two years."

"Best two years of my life," Tara said, bringing Willow's hand up to her lips and lightly kissing the back of it.

"Mine too, baby."

William smiled, seeing the obvious love both women had for the other. Buffy had been right when she had written that it didn't matter the gender, what mattered was if there was love. And from the looks of things, both Willow and Tara had more than enough love to last a lifetime.

He turned his head and looked at the dance floor, trying to spot Xander and Anya. Finally, he noticed them towards the front of the floor, dancing and laughing happily together. The two were moving frantically to the fast paced song, and again William wondered if he could ever manage to dance in such a fashion.

"Do you want to dance too?"

"Excuse me?" William asked, still adjusting to the loud music playing overhead. He didn't understand how people could carry on normal conversations with music this loud.

"Dance?" She asked again, raising her voice.

"I...I am not certain that I would understand-"

"I'll teach you," she said. "We'll just go slow and dance with the basic steps," Buffy said, hoping to sway his decision. "If you hate it, we'll come right back."

William slowly nodded. "Then I guess I will give it a shot."

Buffy stood and reached out for his hand. William stood from the barstool as well, and she slowly led him through the sea of people to an open spot on the dance floor. The music suddenly changed to a much slower beat, and when Buffy turned around to face him, she noticed the visible unease in his posture and expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

William looked around, noticing how close all of the other couples were standing. Many were barely moving, too busy caught up in a heated kiss or touch - things that he had never experienced before. "Yes - Yes, I am sure," he answered. "I just do not...I do not understand this dance."

"Well, it's pretty simple," she explained. "You simply place your hands here-" She took his hands and placed them against her hips. "And I place my hands here." Buffy brought her own hands up against his chest to rest on top of his shoulders. "Is this okay?"

William's eyes were focused on where she had placed his hands. He had never placed his hands so low on her body before, and part of him was terrified that he was going too far, while another part of him was overcome with joy that he was actually allowed to be so close to Buffy. He quickly made his decision and stepped closer to her, tightening his grip around her lower waist.

"This is...this is perfect," he finally said.

_I know, _Buffy completely agreed. "Now, all you do is sway to the beat of the music. Like this." She demonstrated by beginning to move from right to left slightly. "Not too bad, right?"

"No. Actually, this is very simple when compared to the intricate steps to dances that I learned growing up."

"I guess so," Buffy said. "So, what did you think of everyone?"

"I do like your friends," William said. "They are all very...interesting."

"And when you say 'interesting' in that tone of voice, I can tell you are thinking about Anya," Buffy said, grinning. "She definitely takes some getting used to."

"Yes, I agree. However, her fiancée seems very nice. Xander seems to be a very nice gentleman," William continued. "However, I must say that I do seem to favor Willow the best."

"Willow's great, isn't she?" Buffy agreed. "I don't know what I would do without her."

"However...seeing her with Tara. With another woman," William started. "That is very...new to me."

"I know that might take some time getting used to as well," Buffy said. "But look at it this way. They are just two people in love, two people that want to be together because they love each other. It doesn't matter than they are both women. What matters is that they love each other."

"It sounds to me as if you may have had difficulty understanding their relationship as well."

Buffy shrugged, wondering how he could read her so well in such a short period of time. "At first. I mean, I admit that it did take me by surprise. Her only other relationship was with a man. It was just weird going from seeing Willow and her boyfriend to Willow and her girlfriend."

"I see." William said, thinking over Buffy's last few words. Although they had become much closer over the last couple of days, neither one had made any effort to actually define their relationship. William spoke up, hoping to clear that up right now. "Is that what I am, Buffy?"

"What?"

"A boyfriend?"

Buffy blushed, surprised that he was wondering the same thing she had been thinking about earlier today. "I suppose you are," she finally said. "I mean, that's what I was assuming you would be when you said, 'things' - meaning 'us' - progressing."

William nodded, trying to understand the terminology of this time period. "And then that would make you...my girlfriend?"

Buffy nodded. "You got it."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her a bit tighter. "I've never had a girlfriend before," he revealed.

Buffy felt her heart clench at seeing is face light up at the mere thought of having a girlfriend - a word that was so simple, but clearly meant so much to him...to both of them, actually. "Well, I don't know why," she said. "I don't know how a man as kind and generous as you could go on single for very long."

William's eyes clouded over at the though of Cecily and the humiliation he had gone through at his last social event that he had attended. But, when he realized that she was simply giving him a compliment, his spirits lifted and he was right back where he had been a few seconds before - exhilaration.

"Are you still okay with the dancing?" Buffy asked.

William nodded, looking down at their feet, which were barely moving across the floor.

"Well, if you wanted to simplify things even more, you don't even have to move," Buffy said.

She stopped moving and pressed up against William, laying her head against his chest and feeling the top of her head rest underneath of his chin. William's hands slid around until they rested against the small of her back as Buffy's hands dropped to cling to his side. He clasped his hands together and felt her do the same against his back.

"Now this..._this _is perfect," she said softly.

William looked down at the woman in his arms, breathed in the scent of her shampoo, and swore that he might have just died in ecstacy.

And it was there that William realized that he could come to enjoy dancing in the 21st century very, very much.

* * *

When William and Buffy walked back to their table, Xander had purchased drinks for everyone. Buffy discretely exchanged her club soda with William's beer since she wasn't sure about his tolerance level to alcohol. The group of six sat together talking, allowing William get to know everyone better. 

Thirty minutes later, William leaned over to ask Buffy where the bathroom was. She pointed to the bathroom signs and directed him how to get there. When William rose from the table and began to walk to the other side of the club, Buffy looked at her friends excitedly.

"So?" She asked. "What does everybody think?"

"I like him" Willow finally said. "I think I really do like him."

"Me too," Tara agreed. "He seems very sweet."

Buffy beamed at hearing her best friends give quick praise. "Yeah, he really is."

"And I don't get a creepy-Warren feeling from him either," Willow said, delighted that her friend had finally found someone who seemed to fit her perfectly.

"He seems pretty cool," Xander began. "I got the impression he is overly polite. Is that something people in England always do?"

Buffy shrugged. "He's always been polite ever since we first began writing to each other," she said truthfully. "That's one of the things I like best about him." She turned and looked at the last person who hadn't spoken yet. "Anya?"

"I don't know..." she started. "He just seems a bit too perfect."

Buffy sat back, surprised to her words against William coming from Anya, of all people. "Well, William is a great guy, but no one is perfect."

"He's just...something about him. Like he's from a different generation or something," Anya said.

Buffy paused, wondering how someone whose mind was so centered on sex and almost nothing else could suspect something so close to the truth while no one else did. "Anya..."

"Nevermind. This is just me getting into some deep inner thoughts; it doesn't happen too often. I wish you many happy orgasms with William," she said.

Everyone at the table groaned.

"No, seriously, though," Anya began, frowing when she realized that her earlier words might have hurt Buffy. "He does seem...nice. Maybe a little timid for my tastes, but that seems to work with you."

And it was true - William's calm, pacified nature was very calming to Buffy. He hadn't ever gotten upset or overly emotional since arriving in her time, and she realized that she was beginning to count on his rational thinking to help her get through things. It didn't take much to make Buffy realize that she was beginning to count on William for a lot of things.

"I'm so glad that you all like him," Buffy said. "He's a bit nervous about meeting you all, but I'm sure that as time goes on, he'll start to loosen up and act more casual with you all."

"Has he met Dawnie yet?" Willow asked.

"No, actually. But she'll be home Monday evening, so I'll introduce the two of them then," Buffy explained. She reminded herself to call Dawn this weekend and let her know that William would be there when she got home. Buffy didn't expect to have any problems with William and Dawn getting along. After hearing so much about his devotion and love for his own sister, Buffy knew that she didn't have anything to worry about.

Buffy felt a hand touch the small of her back and she whirled around to come face to face with William. "Made it there and back safe and sound?" she asked.

"Yes, I did," William replied, smiling. "There is another slow song playing. Would you care to dance?"

"That sounds great," Buffy replied, hopping off of the stool and standing beside him. "We'll be back," she told her friends as the couple walked out to the dance floor.

* * *

Several songs later, the group of friends decided to call it a night since they all had work the next morning. Buffy and William were still on the dance floor, where her four friends could see the two joking around and badly dancing together. 

Willow walked up to the couple and tapped on Buffy's shoulder. "Hey, I think we're ready to head out," Willow said.

"Okay. Is that okay with you, William?" Buffy asked.

William nodded emphatically. Although he had enjoyed meeting her friends and dancing with Buffy, the loud music was beginning to hurt his head. Furthermore, he was unused to staying up this late at night and was ready for a good night's sleep.

The group grabbed their coats and headed out the door. Buffy automatically reached for William's arm, looping her own through his and walking at a leisurely pace beside him.

"Did you have fun tonight?" She asked William as they all walked out towards the parking lot.

"Yes, I did," he admitted. Above everything else, William had enjoyed dancing with Buffy, where he had been closer to her than ever before. It was a lovely feeling and one he hoped that he would have again very soon. "And we will come back?"

"As many times as you would like," Buffy answered.

They stopped once they came up to Buffy's SUV and turned to say good night to her friends. "Good night, guys," she said. "Willow and Anya? I'll see you two at work tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Buffy."

"It was great meeting you, William."

"See you tomorrow, Buff."

"See you again soon, William."

The two other couples kept on walking as Buffy unlocked the car doors. Once they were both inside and she had locked the doors, Buffy leaned over and gently, lightly, lovingly kissed William on the cheek.

"What - what was that for?" William asked softly. His mind was still trying to catch up. _She kissed me, Buffy kissed me! _he thought. Although it had simply been a light peck on the cheek, it was a momentous step forward for him.

"For being an incredible man who my friends liked after only meeting you for ten minutes." Buffy explained, letting her hand come to rest on his knee. "For being you."

TBC...

* * *

Thank you all for the feedback on the last chapter - and to whoever nominated me at the VKA? THANK YOU! It always means so much to me when my stories get nominated because I don't nominate myself - which means that you guys take your time to go out to sites and nominate my stories. And that just means a lot to me personally. There is a lot going on with my life right now...with the exception of this story, I'm taking a much-needed break from the fandom, but I'm still around to contact through e-mail.

So, in the meantime, keep up with the awesome reviews - you guys rock for reading this story and letting me know what you think. Read and review and make me a happy author! (Not that I'm not already happy with you guys and your response to this story, but a girl can never get too many reviews!) ;)

Thanks!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

The week passed too quickly for both William and Buffy's liking, and before either one had really noticed, the weekend had almost come and gone. Buffy had become quite busy at the gallery, while William had become entranced by everything that the internet could offer once he had been introduced to Buffy's computer and shown how to work it fairly successfully.

For the first time, he was able to fully catch up on what had changed in 122 years. He used what Buffy had called "Google" to search for new inventions, things from his era that had changed or fallen out of the public's use, and other little bits of information that William might need in order to successfully navigate through everyday life here in 2004.

It was weird to think that he was actually beginning to settle down here in Sunnydale, California, circa 2004. He had a somewhat offbeat, but clearly caring group of friends. And, what made this entire experience worthwhile was that he had the one person who had quickly become his world - Buffy. Even though he was permanently separated from his mother and sister, William was finding the abrupt change to his liking.

William spent much of his free time thinking about his family - wondering what they were doing without him there to care for the two of them, how mother's health was progressing, and if there would ever be a way to get in touch with them. Nevertheless, despite those melancholy thoughts, William forced himself to not worry himself over his family so he didn't miss out on all of the pleasant moments he spent with Buffy and her friends.

On Sunday, however, everything else was put aside and that evening was saved especially for just Buffy and William. Buffy had jokingly called it "private Buffy and William time," when she had suggested having another movie marathon evening. This, of course, sent William into another embarrassed fit of blushing and stuttering at the implications of her words, which had made Buffy laugh. Even though they had come much further in a short period of time, a small part of him could not let go of the Victorian ideals he had been accustomed to since birth.

That Sunday, Buffy decided to have a Harry Potter movie marathon since the latest movie, _The Prisoner of Azkaban_, had just come out a few weeks ago.

William thoroughly enjoyed watching the movies. Although the story was set in England, this world was uniquely its own, and he was fascinated with the special effects and the original story line. As with _The Lord of the Rings_, Buffy realized that she would be making another trip to the bookstore very soon to purchase the _Harry Potter_ series as well.

"Still enjoying it?" Buffy asked, looking over at him. She had her legs spread out at the end of the couch while William sat upright at the other end.

"Oh, yes indeed," he replied.

"Good." After a quick internal debate over whether she should or not, Buffy leaned over and rest her head against his shoulder.

Buffy felt his arm come up and gently rest against her back and lower shoulder, and she realized that this was the first time that William had ever initialized physical contact between the two of them. It was a small step, but it was definitely something major for a gentleman of the 1880s.

"And now it's even better," she said, smiling up at him.

"I couldn't agree with you more," he agreed, slightly rubbing his hand back and forth against her back.

Suddenly, the front door burst open and a tall, slender, brunette walked through the doorway carrying several heavily-packed bags on each shoulder and dragging an over-stuffed bag of laundry inside behind her.

"Whoa," she exclaimed, dropping the bags on the floor. "Buffy sitting with a guy. Sitting close to a guy. Wow. Am I in the wrong house? Did I travel through an alternate dimension on my way back to Sunnyhell?"

"Dawn!" Buffy cried out, stopping the movie and rising from her seat on the couch. "What are you doing home? I thought you were coming back tomorrow evening after your last final."

"Well, they moved my exam forward to Friday afternoon so teachers could have the weekend to finish getting grades in. I decided to surprise you by coming home a night early," Dawn explained as she closed the front door behind her. "But here I am being the surprised one."

"Dawn-"

"But hey! At least you listened to my advice, bringing home a hot guy," Dawn said. She grinned and quickly added, "Way to go, sis."

"Dawn, please" Buffy groaned. "This is William Stafford."

"Oh...oh! You mean 'pen pal William'?" she asked excitedly, looking back and forth between her sister and the man sitting uncomfortably on the couch. "Seriously?"

William rose from the couch and walked up to Buffy's sister. He held out his hand for a handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Dawn," he said. "Buffy has told me so many things about you."

"Well, don't believe everything she says, especially if it's anything bad about me," Dawn replied jokingly. She shook his hand, getting a chance to give William a good look over. He appeared to be a very kind, gentle-natured man, but then again, so had Warren at the very beginning. But one thing was for certain...

"See? I told you that his accent would be hot, Buffy," Dawn teased.

Both William and Buffy blushed, and Buffy couldn't help but think, _God, she's getting as bad as Anya!_

"Come on," Buffy said, directing the two towards the couch. "Let's all sit and talk a bit."

The three sat down on the couch with Buffy in the middle, neither one knowing who should start speaking first.

"So..." Dawn finally began. "When did you get here?"

"I arrived several days ago," William said. "Buffy and I finally decided that we did want to meet and spend the holiday season together."

"That's so great," Dawn said. "This way you won't be alone for the holidays when I go off for my skiing trip next week."

_Oh trust me, _Buffy thought, _that thought has already crossed my mind. _She would be lying if she said she wasn't thinking about spending the next week with only William and how things might progress. "We've been having a pretty good time together," she said. "He met the gang at the beginning of this week and then again on Friday night. They all seem to like him so far."

"And Buffy told me that you're a poet?" Dawn asked. "I was thinking about taking an English poetry class next semester, but wasn't too sure if it would interest me enough for an entire class on just poetry alone."

"I find English poetry very fascinating," William said. "I particularly enjoy poetry from the Romantic and Victorian eras."

Buffy and William smiled together and Dawn immediately caught the similar looks on their faces. "What?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing...William just specializes in that period of writing," Buffy tried to explain. "I'm sure that if you take a course on that, William will be able to help you. After all, it's like he read everything for the first time just yesterday."

William fought back a chuckle at how he and Buffy could joke about their situation. "If you ever do need any assistance, please do ask."

"Sure. Thanks, William," Dawn replied.

Dawn looked at her sister and then William, trying to pick up on any unspoken vibes between the two. It had definitely been a shock to see someone sitting so closely to her sister right when she had walked in the front door. Although Buffy had talked about William a few months ago, Dawn had never imagined that their friendship would progress to the point of William actually taking his time to come visit her. It must be really serious if Buffy had invited him to spend Christmas with them.

But when she looked at the two of them, and more importantly, how William looked at Buffy when she was unaware of it, Dawn knew why he had traveled so far just to see her and spend time with her - love. Dawn didn't know much about this William Stafford, but she could see one thing very clearly - he was absolutely crazy about her sister. And the fact that it looked like he would try to do any and every thing to make Buffy happy, suddenly placed William in a very good light in Dawn's eyes.

So many past boyfriends that Buffy had dated really weren't worth her time. They had been pleasant enough, sure, but they hadn't gone that little extra distance to really be a top-quality boyfriend. William, on the other hand, looked like he could come through and be it...the _one_ for her sister, and Dawn couldn't help but be kind towards the man who was winning over her sister's heart.

"Do you want anything to drink, Dawnie?" Buffy asked, hoping her sister would say "yes" so she could give William and Dawn some along time to talk.

"Sure, a soda would be great," Dawn answered.

Buffy rose and walked into the kitchen, casting a smile in William's direction as she left the room.

The minute she was out of ear's reach, Dawn looked at William and asked, "So...what are your intentions with my sister?"

Now William really had to control his desire to laugh out loud. Here was this young, sweet nineteen year old girl, acting like an overprotective father in regard to her older sister. What had made it even more laughable was that what Dawn had asked was a phrase he had never expected to hear in 2004.

"I can assure you, Dawn, that my intentions towards your sister are nothing to be concerned about," William said. "I know of her past relationships with Warren Mears, one relationship and can guarantee you that nothing of the sort shall happen between the two of us."

Buffy stood behind the doorway with Dawn's drink in her hand, listening to their conversation and wondering where it would lead to. She mentally applauded William, glad that he was able to so easily defend himself against her interrogative sister.

_Well...that was a good answer actually, _Dawn thought, slightly taken by surprise with his clear and concise speech. "You say that now, but..."

"I would never hurt a lady. I wouldn't dare hurt the woman I...the woman that I care for," William said forcefully. He desperately wanted to get that point across, as he did not want something like this getting in the way of their possible friendship.

"And you do care, right? For my sister?" Dawn asked.

William lowered his voice to answer. "I love your sister. With all that I am."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat. While she knew that William had very strong feelings for her, she had no clue that it had gone quite this far. Hearing the words, even though he was simply explaining it to Dawn, made her heart leap and her breath quicken. The words echoed over and over in her mind, and, although she still had moments of worry and unease, she knew she was the luckiest girl on earth to have his love.

Dawn sat back, unable to argue that point. She could see the love burning in his eyes - _eyes that are just way too pretty_, she thought - and knew that he was for real. Unless he was the world's best actor William really was speaking the truth with everything he had said.

"Okay then," she said. "Congratulations, you passed the sister-questions-boyfriend's-motives test with flying colors."

"Oh thank goodness," William said, mock-wiping his brow.

"Buffy! You can stop hiding behind the wall now," Dawn shouted. "Get your butt out here so we can finish watching Harry Potter!"

* * *

The week before Christmas passed even faster than the week before. While Buffy finalized everything at the gallery since it would not be open throughout Christmas weekend, Dawn and William entertained each other at home and in town.

On Monday, Dawn decided to take William to see a movie at the Sun Cinema. Dawn ordered a large tub of popcorn, much to William's delight, several boxes of candy, and two bottles of water. She had told him that at least they would drink something healthy this afternoon if nothing else.

As they walked into the theater, William's main thoughts were over how incredibly ridiculous it was that people - and many people, from the looks of how crowded the theater was - were actually willing to pay $3.50 for a simple bottle of water and $5.00 for popcorn. In his day, $5.00 would have bought quite a lot, not just a snack for a two-and-a-half hour long movie.

That evening, the three of them went to the local Christmas tree lot and picked out a tree. The three started decorating the tree the same evening, singing to Christmas carols and talking about whatever came to mind. William was entranced by seeing what Buffy and her sister's traditions were and how they were both similar and different from his own family's traditions.

On Tuesday, the Dawn and William decided to go to the mall for the day - which, William reflected later that evening, had somewhat been a careless decision.

That morning, William had told Dawn that he wanted to get Buffy something for Christmas. Seeing as how he didn't have any money with him, he had asked Dawn for a small advance until he could pay her back. Dawn agreed and the two went shopping at the same mall Buffy had taken him to on his first day here. The two nearly managed to become separated several times - mostly due to William's distractions with all of the decorations and festive window displays, but they did manage to leave the mall with success.

On Wednesday, Dawn showed William around the entire town of Sunnydale, pointing out the Expresso Pump, the high school that Buffy, her friends, and she herself went to, and then ended the tour by taking a walk through the park. After Buffy got back home from the gallery, the three went to a grocery store to pick up everything that they would need to cook dinner for their friends on Friday evening.

Thursday, Dawn met with her friends for the afternoon, leaving William to fare for himself. He spent most of the day on Buffy's computer, reading over scanned newspaper articles and other world events, still trying to catch up to where everyone else was.

By the end of the week, William was delighted that he and Dawn had bonded so well together. He'd been worried at first that Buffy's sister wouldn't approve and wouldn't act friendly while he was staying with them. However, by the time Thursday evening rolled around, William and Dawn were already close friends. In fact, simply by looking at the two, one would have never guessed that they had only known each other for less than a week.

Likewise, Buffy was also thrilled that Dawn and William were becoming such fast friends. With each passing day, the thought of William returning to 1882 became less of a concern. He was right - they didn't write to one another anymore, and without using the desk, there probably wouldn't be a way for him to return to his time. And although only a couple weeks had passed, Buffy realized that she was beginning to depend on having William in her life.

Yes, she was a bit worried every once in a while that she might wake up to find an empty room, but Buffy knew that she had to live in the now - to take advantage of what she had in front of her. And with Christmas coming up, she planned on doing just that.

* * *

While the three were getting ready for bed on the night before Christmas Eve, Buffy pulled Dawn aside while William was in the bathroom brushing his teeth.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"So, after spending a few days with him what do you think?" Buffy asked, hoping to hear a positive response from her sister.

"I think...I think I like him," Dawn finally answered. "And he's obviously crazy about you. Everything I say your name, he gets all shy and stutter-y...and I think, from what I've seen this past week, that the feeling is equally returned, right?"

Buffy shrugged, not wanting to say more than she could at the moment. "I...he is very close to my heart," she finally said, hoping that would do for the time being.

"I think he could be good for you," Dawn said. "He _will _be good for you. SO much better than that Warren creep."

"I can't disagree with you there."

"And he is so...well mannered," Dawn continued. "You don't hear guys talk that well anymore these days."

"See? Perfect, polite gentleman," Buffy said. "I said it months ago, yet no one believed me."

"Well, I believe you now."

"Thank you, Dawnie," Buffy said, pulling her sister closer for a tight hug. "And you really don't mind that he'll be spending Christmas with us?"

Now Dawn shrugged, but she still didn't appear too upset at the idea. "I'm not crazy-excited about it, but it really will be nice for you to have someone here while I'm on my winter vacation. I don't like to think of you being all by yourself here, especially when everyone else in the gang has someone to spend the week with."

"You are just the best sister ever," Buffy said, thrilled that Dawn was giving William a chance.

"I know, I know. Keep talking the praise, please," Dawn teased. "Now, about William..."

"Oh boy, here it comes."

"You really do know how to pick 'em, don't you?" Dawn asked. "I mean, wow! I don't know if I should say 'cute,' 'hot,' or even 'beautiful' but you picked a real looker."

"Oh, I know," Buffy sighed, casting a wistful look towards the bathroom. "Damn, but don't I know."

TBC...

* * *

I just wanted to say thank you again for all of the lovely reviews that you all have left for this story. THANK YOU for letting me know what you thought and I'm just thrilled that so many people seem to be enjoying this story.

Thank you for the nominations as well - whoever has been nominating my story at these award sites - THANK YOU:)

As usual, please take a second to read and review, please let me know what you thought of the newest chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

The weekend finally arrived, and Christmas along with it. Having William with her for the holiday only made Buffy that much more excited. She had decided to close the gallery for the next three days, so on Christmas Eve morning, the three woke up and spent the day together cooking, putting the finishing touches on any remaining decorations and getting ready for her friends to come over later that evening.

It had become an annual tradition for everyone to celebrate Christmas Eve together at Buffy's apartment. They would exchange their gifts that night after dinner, spending the rest of the night relaxing with plenty of egg nog for the entire group.

"How's dinner coming along?" Dawn asked, walking into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and looked at the place settings, nodding and smiling in approval. _Mom would have been proud to see how we're doing, how we're continuing to get through each major holiday without her, _Dawn couldn't help but think. It definitely wasn't the same as it had been with Mom around, but Buffy was definitely making the best of it each year.

"Pretty good. Don't you think so, William?" Buffy asked. She stirred the pot of turkey gravy once more before setting the spoon aside and wiping her hands off on the towel to her left.

"Yes, however I didn't know that cooking with Buffy would wind up being so...dangerous," he joked, winking at Dawn.

"Hey, I am _not _a bad cook," Buffy said defensively.

"Right, you only left the pot holder on top of the burner twice and then came _this_ close to ruining the sweet potato casserole by adding the ingredients used for the stuffing. All of this because you are an _excellent _cook," William answered sarcastically.

Buffy looked at him with a mixture of shock and amusement. Hearing William talk back to her was always a delight. It was a definite sign that he was becoming more accustomed to himself and his surroundings. It meant he was adapting to 2004. And for once, she didn't have anything smart to say to him in response.

"You should have seen it last year," Dawn said as she played with the silverware placed in front of her. "It was not pretty, at all. Fire bad."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," William answered. He smiled at Buffy, letting her know that his teasing was meant in good humor.

"But everything looks really great this year," Dawn continued.

"Well, thank William for that," Buffy grumbled, trying to appear hurt that both of them were ganging up on her. Okay, so she wouldn't be winning any chef awards anytime soon, but that didn't mean that Dawn had to keep bringing up the Christmas when she'd almost burnt the apartment complex down. "He's made some suggestions for my recipes that he and his family use."

Actually, William had written down some of the recipes that he remembered from his time. He and Buffy had spent the entire afternoon together working on making this a perfect dinner. From what Buffy had test-tasted so far, all of her friends were going to be very impressed this evening.

Or, more realistically, they would simply know that she had gotten a lot of help in the kitchen this year.

Not that it mattered to her. Spending time with William was important to her, no matter what they were doing. With each passing day, she could see that they were becoming closer. And she honestly loved it.

"Do you want to help out?" Buffy asked her sister.

Dawn shook her head in response. "No, thank you. I still have some presents I have to wrap for tonight actually. I just wanted to check up on things and make sure that the place was still standing."

"Thanks for having so much faith in me," Buffy sarcastically muttered.

"Not a problem." Dawn set the fork and knife back down on the napkin and headed back to her own room.

"What did you do last year?" William asked when Dawn had left.

Buffy shook her head, muttering, "nothing."

William smiled. "Buffy, I hardly doubt Dawn said 'fire bad' without having good reason behind it."

"Fine. I was toasting some rolls in a different toaster oven and left them in for way too long," she explained. "By the time I came back, just about the whole counter was on fire...not of the good."

"No, not at all," he agreed.

"It didn't really ruin our dinner...we just didn't have any rolls," Buffy said. "Dawn has never let me live that one down. I don't think she ever will."

"Well, nevertheless, hearing this news will not change the way I think of you," William said, half-teasingly. He wanted to let her know that although she wasn't the most conscientious cook, he still did love her.

"Thank you." Buffy walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, taking a second to relax from the busy day of cooking and decorating, to simply _be_ with William.

William closed his eyes and felt the tension automatically leave his body. It was amazing what simply holding Buffy could do to him - how it could make him feel as if he had no worries or concerns in his life. When they held each other it was just...Buffy and William.

At hearing a bubbling and sizzling noise, William opened his eyes and looked towards the stove. The pot of gravy was beginning to heavily boil and actually spilled over the edge of the pot.

"Buffy..." he started, regretfully pulling away his hands and stepping back. "It appears as if we do have a situation now."

Buffy looked behind her at the overflowing gravy and softly cursed. "Looks like an accident is bound to happen every year."

William patted her back before rubbing her shoulder. "Do not worry. At least it isn't as bad as what happened last year."

Buffy laughed. "Please. We still have forty-five minutes before anyone will be here. That gives me plenty more opportunities to destroy this place." She hugged him once more and went to the stove. "Don't worry, William, I'm just joking with you."

_I hope._

Truth was, she hadn't even heard the gravy bubbling or the sound of the sauce hitting the burner. She had been so wrapped up in feeling, smelling, and touching William, that all of her other senses had been closed off. Every time she touched him, Buffy could fell herself fall just a bit more.

And for once, Buffy didn't think that was a bad thing.

* * *

Willow and Tara were the first to arrive at Buffy's apartment. Dawn, who was ecstatic over getting to see Buffy's friends after spending four months away at college, opened the door with a wide grin on her face. She saw that the two women were carrying three bags filled with presents, and Dawn couldn't help but become a bit giddy as the holiday spirit overtook her. She just loved spending her favorite holiday with all of her best friends.

"Hey Dawnie!" Willow greeted, walking up to hug her after setting the presents down beside the door. "I've missed you so much! How was your first semester?"

"It was awesome," she replied. "My grades still haven't been posted yet, but I feel pretty good about all of my finals." Dawn turned and waved to Tara. "Oh, I've missed you two so much."

"We've missed you too," Tara said softly, hugging Dawn in greeting as well. "Bronze nights just aren't the same without you there."

"Yeah, they're more fun!" Buffy joked from inside the kitchen.

"You know you miss me!" Dawn replied, which was the truth.

"How is the feast coming along?" Willow asked as she took off her coat and hung it by the front door. "It sure does smell good. And here I was thinking Buffy was just an average cook."

Dawn nodded. "Oh, trust me, she is most _definitely _an average cook-"

"Hey! I can hear what you two are saying!" Buffy cried out.

"But William has been helping her all day," Dawn continued. "And this guy can seriously cook, you guys. It's like...old fashioned, made from scratch cooking."

"That's great," Willow said. "So, you approve of William?"

"Yes, he has the official Dawn seal of approval. I spent a lot of time with him this week, and he is such a nice guy. So polite and generous. He holds the door for me all the time and insists that I sit down first when we eat," Dawn gushed. "He's totally into my sister, which is just nice to see. And she's been like...pod-person-happy all week long."

Willow nodded, understanding what Dawn was saying perfectly since she had seen the same "pod-person-happy" Buffy at work. Both she and Anya were certain that her change in personality was due to William's presence. It had been a long time since they had seen Buffy act so excited about going home for the evening or simply picking up dinner, and if William was the reason for it, then he was officially on Willow's good side.

Willow was about the close the door when a hand reached out to stop it from moving.

"Hey, hey, let's not close the door quite yet," a voice said on the other side of the door. "I come bearing tides of good joy...or what we call presents in this day and age."

"Xander!" Dawn shrieked, moving forward to pull the door open.

Xander walked in the doorway and held open his arms to hug the brunette. "And how is my favorite college girl?"

Anya, who was standing behind him and holding the gifts muttered, "She'd better be the _only _college girl you know, Harris."

Xander smiled; the holiday atmosphere completely prevented a pessimistic mood. "It's so great to see you Dawn. We've missed you around here."

"Me too," she said. "Well, come on inside, everyone. You can place the gifts over there." She pointed towards the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. "Buffy and William are in the kitchen finishing up dinner."

Everyone followed Dawn into the kitchen and warm words of welcome and greetings were spoken throughout the room from everyone.

"Hey, guys," Buffy said. "Dinner is almost done. We just have a few finishing touches left."

"Hello everyone," William said from beside Buffy. "It is wonderful to see you all again."

"It smells great," Xander said.

"Well, you should all thank William," Buffy said. "He's been helping out a lot today. I think I might have burned down the kitchen if it wasn't for him being here."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't be the first time that happened," she muttered.

"And there is no 'might' about it," William added. "Buffy would have burned down the kitchen if I had not been here, that's without a doubt."

"William!" Buffy tossed the hand towel towards his face and laughed when he failed to catch it in time.

"C'mon, everyone, take a seat," Dawn said, pulling out a chair for herself and sitting. Everyone else did the same, leaving two seats for Buffy and William.

Buffy's best dinner china and her mother's silver were laid out on the table for the group of seven. The lights were turned to their lowest setting and several festive candles were lit around the turkey that was sitting on a large tray in the center of the table.

Anya looked around the table with a satisfactory look on her face. "You really outdid yourself this year, Buffy," she said in approval. "Things look different than last year...not that it's a bad thing."

"Thanks Anya," Buffy replied, a bit surprised that Anya of all people had complimented her on all of her work. William had helped her throughout most of the day, offering little tidbits of advice on what he and his family did on their holiday. Buffy hoped that by incorporating some of his traditions into her own she had made William feel a bit more comfortable celebrating Christmas in an environment that was still unfamiliar for the most part.

"Everything really does look gorgeous this year," Tara said softly.

"Yeah, Buff...I've never seen the place look so festive," Xander agreed.

"Thank you," Buffy repeated, grateful that her friends had noticed how much time and effort she had placed in decorating the apartment this year. However, with William here to help out, things had gone even faster than usual.

Buffy set the stuffing down, which was the last dish needed to be added to the table, and then went around the table to take the covers off of the other dishes. After making sure that everything else was in place, Buffy sat down in her own chair at the head of the table. Dawn was to her right and William sat to her left, and the other two couples sat together on opposite sides of the table. She looked at everyone, watching her friends talk back and forth, and was immediately overcome with feelings of gratefulness. Buffy didn't know what she would do if she didn't have her friends in her life.

She turned to William, someone else she was grateful to having in her life - although for different reasons than all of her friends, of course. The last week had brought them even closer together. While decorating the apartment, the two had shared stories, secrets, and generally learned even more about each other in the process, more than they ever would have learned if they had only been writing to one another. Buffy smiled at him and he returned the gesture; she always loved watching his eyes light up whenever he smiled.

"Hungry?" she asked, leaning closer towards him. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

William grinned again and shortly chuckled. "I am quite famished, I do admit."

"Good." She smiled brightly at him once more, before turning her attention to her friends and clearing her throat. "Are we all set?"

Everyone quieted down, a few nodded, and they all looked at her expectantly.

"Well, first of all, merry Christmas Eve, everyone," Buffy began. Everyone repeated her words, and Buffy couldn't help but grin when she heard William say, "happy Christmas Eve."

"It's always great to have all of us get together for nights like these," she continued. "Having all of us together...Dawn back with us, and William here, reminds me of how lucky I am to have all of you in my life. So...who wants to say grace?"

No one spoke for a second and finally Dawn spoke up and said, "I will."

Everyone closed their eyes and slightly bowed their heads in prayer.

"Lord, thank you for this food that we are about to eat," Dawn started. "Tonight we celebrate Christmas Eve with food, gifts, laughter, and good company. We thank you for all that you have given us, for watching out for us, and giving us guidance and blessings. We ask that you..."

As Dawn continued speaking, Buffy opened her eyes and looked at William. His head was slightly bowed and his eyes were tightly closed. She slowly reached out and took his hand that was resting on the edge of the table. She turned his hand over and tightly wrapped her hand around his own.

At the feel of a slender hand touching his, William opened his eyes and looked over at her. When he met Buffy's eyes, he instantly smiled at the warmth he saw in her hazel orbs and returned the squeeze to her own fingertips.

William looked at her and then cast a quick look from one end of the table to the other. For some reason right then, everything hit him at once. As William looked at Willow and Tara sitting so closely together to his left, and Xander and Anya sitting together on the other side of the table, he suddenly realized that he truly did belong with this group. For the first time in his life, William belonged somewhere.

He had never felt like this before, but having the security of knowing he belonged to a group of friends, was just astounding. If only those idiots in the London of his time could see him now, they probably wouldn't believe that this was the same William that they had seen make a fool of himself at parties several months ago.

And his mother would be thrilled, that was without a question. She would have been so proud to see him fit in with a group of friends and to be dating such a wonderful young woman. His mother and sister would have loved Buffy, William knew that without a doubt as well. So, even though he missed his family all the time, William got through the day knowing that his mother had given them her blessing, and as long as Buffy was with him then everything would work out.

He turned back to look at Buffy again, and she made a face clearly letting him know just how hungry she was. He forced himself not to laugh and instead tried to reply with a "be serious, your sister is giving the blessing!" expression. She understood immediately and straightened her head before closing her eyes. William did the same and went back to listening to Dawn.

"So, thank you for all that you have given us. Amen," she finished.

The group all sat back up and waited for whoever would speak up next.

"C'mon, I'm hungry," Buffy complained. "Xander, you should do the manly thing and cut up the turkey."

"Yes ma'am," he said, standing up and picking up the cutting knife and fork beside the turkey. "Let's get this bird cut into."

"Alright everyone, help yourself," Buffy said.

They didn't need to be told twice. Everyone started serving themselves a helping of whatever was the closest to them. Dishes and plates were passed back and forth and everyone started talking about whatever came to mind.

And throughout it all, William couldn't remember having ever had such a fun time.

TBC

* * *

Thank you all for the lovely reviews last chapter! I hope you enjoyed the newest one - please leave a review and let me know.

This was originally suppose to be much longer, but I decided to split up the next two chapters because it was just SO long. The next chapter will be filled with plenty of Wuffy love - it's the Christmas spirit, everyone:) But honestly, I do hope that everyone enjoyed the newest chapter and will let me know any comments, thoughts, complaints, etc.

Oh, and THANK YOU to whoever nominated me at Love's Last Glimpse Awards! AH! Talk about "no pressure" - but I'm very excited to be nominated at so many places with so many other great authors. So thank you to the folks who are my nominating elves - it's a real thrill, let me tell you!

Thanks everyone and take care! Until next time.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

After dinner, the group returned the Buffy's living room and sat around the room, ready to exchange gifts. Dawn, being the youngest and the person who was most excited about actually exchanging gifts, decided to lead the gift-giving event.

William sat beside Buffy on the couch, somewhat embarrassed that he did not have any gifts of his own to give to their friends. Earlier in the week, Buffy had explained to him that the gifts she would give to her friends would come from both of them. However, without any money of his own, purchasing the gifts fell onto Buffy's shoulders alone, and William couldn't help but feel slightly guilty about that.

As Dawn took gifts out of bags and brought them to each person, William was surprised to see that he was collecting a small pile for himself.

He had only been with Buffy for over two weeks and had only met her friends just a little over a week ago, but the fact that they had thought to get him a little something, meant more to him than anything else. For the first time, he had a group of friends outside of his immediate family - something much more than he had ever had in 1882.

Finally, Dawn passed the last present to her sister from Anya, before taking her own seat at the other end of the couch.

"Okay," Dawn said. "Let's start!" She immediately picked up the biggest box and started ripping off the paper.

The group of seven began opening their presents. "Thank you's," "oooh's," and other words of praise were uttered as everyone began unwrapping their gifts.

William, especially, was having a fantastic time getting to see what everyone had chosen for Buffy, as well as himself. The two sat together alternating who got to unwrap the presents first.

Willow and Tara bought him a collection of teas in a well-crafted, decorated wooden box and told him that most of them came from a small herbal shop in town. They also bought him several CDs of classical music, something that Buffy had suggested they purchase for him since that was the genre of music he knew best.

The two women gave Buffy a gift basket filled with lotions, shower gels, soaps, bath salts, and other aromatheaputic goods. In addition, they gave her a large scrapbook that already had several pages that the two had created. Buffy smiled when she looked through it at the memories it brought back, and made sure to eventually add plenty more pages to the scrapbook, especially since William was now here.

Xander and Anya gave William a Hickory Farms gift basket with different cheeses and spiced sausages. Xander also picked out a nice gift box of DVDs that William had never seen or heard of.

Anya's gift for Buffy was no surprise; in fact, Buffy should have seen it coming from the beginning. Buffy unwrapped her present, blushed, and quickly hid it from William's view. She glanced down at the cover of the book cover and the goodie bag attached to it and rolled her eyes. _Only Anya would get me a book and gift set about sex_, she thought. Thank goodness she didn't get William anything like that!

Buffy's present from Xander was still in his truck, and he waited until everyone else was done opening their gifts before telling her about it. The group walked outside together to see what Xander's gift was. He opened the cab of his truck and pulled the tarp off of a beautifully carved standing jewelry box, one that looked as if it would hold enough jewelry for twenty women.

"Xander!" Buffy cried out, amazed that he had spent so much time on her gift. "It's absolutely beautiful!"

"Thanks, Buffy," Xander said, bringing down the jewelry box from the back of the truck. "It's big enough to hold other things too, like scarves, belts, jewelry boxes, things like that."

"Thank you so much," she said, opening the drawers and looking at the incredible craftsmanship.

William stared at his gift and couldn't help but wonder how his present would ever be able to compete with something such as this. Sure, Buffy understood that he didn't have any money with him, but something like this...well, it was a tough act to follow, that's for sure.

As Xander began carrying Buffy's gift towards the apartment, Buffy asked, "So, who's ready for some egg nog?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and the group headed back inside her apartment.

William and Buffy fell towards the end of the line, and she nudged him playfully with her shoulder. "Are you having a fun time?"

He nodded, hoping that his face wasn't saying otherwise. "Tonight has been very exciting," he said. "I was surprised that your friends included me in the gift exchanging."

"You're part of the group now," Buffy said. "They weren't really sure what to get you, so I hope I gave then some pretty good ideas."

William eagerly nodded. He couldn't wait to try the tea and cheeses, as well as watch the movies that Xander picked out. "Everything was perfect."

As they neared the steps towards her doorway, Buffy reached out and wrapped her arms around William's side and leaned against his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. "How about after Dawn is gone on her skiing trip, we spend an afternoon watching all of those movies Xander bought you."

"That sounds lovely."

_Yeah, it sure does_, Buffy thought. Although she was enjoying the time herself, another part of her couldn't wait to have some alone time with William.

* * *

After coming back inside, the group spent the rest of the evening relaxing and sharing stories of their life together, telling William many new stories of the five of them growing up together and how they had become friends. It was nearing midnight when Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya decided to call it a night and head back to their homes.

Buffy, Dawn, and William thanked them all for the gifts and the two girls hugged everyone good bye and good night.

After closing and locking the door, Dawn looked at Buffy and William, and quickly yawned. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm just exhausted." She stretched and bent down to pick up the collection of poetry books that William had given her earlier in the evening. "Thanks for the books, William."

"You're quite welcome," he said. He looked at the clock and saw that it was now 12:01. "And I believe we can officially say 'happy Christmas.'"

Buffy smiled and jokingly hit him in the shoulder. "I keep telling you, it's 'merry Christmas.' You silly Brits."

Dawn smiled at their exchange. Seeing how happy her sister was acting meant a lot to her, and it meant even more to her that William was the one making her so happy. "Okay, you two crazy love birds. I will see you tomorrow bright and early to open the rest of our gifts."

"Good night, Dawnie."

"Good night."

After Dawn shut her bedroom door for the night, Buffy turned to face William and smiled at him. She had told Dawn to feign her exhaustion after everyone else left so she could get some alone time with William before the evening was over. "C'mere," she said, taking him by the hand and leading him towards the couch.

The lights were dimmed for the occasion and several festive candles had been lit earlier in the evening. The collection of instrumental Christmas carols was still playing on the CD player, and with everyone else having gone home for the night, the atmosphere was suddenly more intimate and personal. It was something that both Buffy and William noticed. Buffy directed him towards the couch and motioned for him to sit while she walked up to the Christmas tree and bent down to pick up to presents - one very small box and another, much larger one.

"I thought we were going to exchange presents tomorrow morning with Dawn," William said.

"I can't wait that long," she replied, as she sat back down beside him. "Besides, it's technically Christmas now." She pushed the biggest gift towards him with a small smile on her face. "Go ahead and open it."

William studied the present carefully, wondering what on earth she might have gotten him that was so big. He unwrapped the gift and tore the paper away from the front of the box. His jaw dropped open slightly when he saw its cover.

"Do you like it?" She asked softly.

"Buffy, you...you bought me a computer," William stated. "A...what do you call them again?"

"A laptop. This one is an Apple Powerbook," Buffy explained. "I saw you looking at them in the newspaper ads and on TV."

William shook his head and slightly frowned, remembering the prices he saw attached to the computers in the advertisements. "No, Buffy, this is too much."

"Of course it's not," she said. "After all you've done?"

He scoffed. "I hardly think I have done anything of great importance."

"You've been here," she said forcefully. "You've been with me, and you've been...been my rock," Buffy admitted.

"Buffy..." William reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

"I can't wait to get everything set up," he said, eager to investigate _his_ new computer.

"We'll get it all hooked up tomorrow afternoon, how about that?" Buffy suggested. "And here's your other gift."

Buffy handed the small box to William. He wondered if it was something that was supposed to go along with the computer, since she handed it to him second. He unwrapped it carefully and opened the lid. Inside, resting on top of a thin layer of cotton, sat his father's pocket watch.

William picked up the watch to look at it closer and was surprised when he could hear a faint _tick, tick, tick _coming from the pocket watch.

"I took it into a watch repair shop and even though they had to change some mechanisms inside they were able to fix it," Buffy explained. "I thought you might like to have it back."

William nodded, as a strong sensation of love for the woman beside him filled his chest. "Buffy, I...I don't have the words to thank you-"

"I believe you just did," she cut in. "And how could I not? I mean, it's the only thing you really have from your life back then...I wanted to give it to you."

"Thank you," he said, clipping the pocket watch onto his belt loop and sliding it into his pocket.

"You're very welcome," Buffy whispered, leaning closer towards him, wondering if either of them was brave enough to chance a Christmas kiss.

Just as she was getting ready to lean forward even closer, William stood and headed towards his room. "I have my gift for you in my room," he explained.

"Great," Buffy said, somewhat disappointed that he had moved away so suddenly.

William walked back out a few seconds later with a decorated bag in his hands. "Merry Christmas, Buffy," he said, emphasizing the "merry" with a smile on his face.

"Thank you," she said when he sat back down and placed the bag on her lap. She removed the tissue paper on the top, thinking that Dawn must have helped him purchase and wrap the gift.

Buffy took out was a black leather journal, which looked very much like the journal that the two used to write in. The only difference was the texture of the leather and the bookmark was black ribbon, not red.

"Thank you," she said, although she was somewhat unclear over the meaning of the gift.

"I...I thought that since you said you missed our writing, we could restart our correspondences. We could simply modify what we write about since we see each other every day," William explained. After hearing Buffy question whether he'd missed writing as much as she had, William had decided it might be a nice touch to continue writing to one another from time to time. "If there is ever anything you feel like you cannot say to me in person, just write it down and tell me though words."

Buffy smiled and moved closer towards him. "Thank you, William." She flipped through the pages and stopped when she saw that there was already writing inside.

"I took the liberties of beginning our new journal," he spoke softly.

Buffy flatted the cover and began to read.

_December 23, 2004_

_Dearest Buffy,_

_We said goodnight over two hours ago, yet I find myself unable to retire for the evening. Instead, I'm sitting on my bed in the guest room looking out the window while you are no doubt already deeply asleep. However, too many thoughts are running through my mind at this moment for sleep to take me. Rather than simply sit here and think about nothing important, I decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to begin our new journal. _

_I purchased this because you had mentioned that you missed our writings. I, too, miss that elated feeling of opening up our journal, flipping to where I'd last ended, and seeing two new pages filled with your handwriting. I hope that this will be a way for us to work things through if the need rises. Even more importantly, and what I mean to say though giving you this journal, is that I hope that you will feel like you can tell me anything, whether it be through spoken or written words. _

_Tomorrow, or should I say today since it is nearing two-o-clock in the morning, is Christmas Eve. Your friends will be joining us for supper later in the evening, and I must confess that I am somewhat nervous about spending so much time with people I barely know and who know you so well. Nevertheless, I will try to make the most of tomorrow and am eager to celebrate the holiday with a group who care so much for one another. _

_This also marks a week and a half that I have been living with you in the year 2004. They have been, without a doubt, the best ten days of my life - ten days that I thought we would never have a change of sharing together. Sometimes it still baffles my mind that I am here with you, you sister and friends, and all of these marvelous inventions. Although I do continue to miss my own sister and mother, I would not give up or change these ten days for anything in the world. Words cannot fully express how grateful that you have opened your heart to me so quickly and trustingly. Such simple words to you as "boyfriend" or "dating" mean the absolute world to me when I hear them come from your mouth. _

_So, Happy (and Merry) Christmas, my heart. I look forward to seeing you first thing come morning._

_Forever yours,_

_William_

Buffy blinked back tears as she closed the journal and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you so much, William," she whispered.

"I - I know it is not as impressive as Xander's handcrafted-"

"Stop it," she said, gently laying her fingers over his lips. "This...this one entry means more to me than anything else I have received tonight, okay?"

"Really?"

"Really," she said, hoping that would convince him. Xander's jewelry box, although beautiful, paled in comparison to this heartfelt and personal entry. "I...I know that I am sometimes still skittish about you possibly disappearing on me one day-"

"And I keep telling you that it will most likely never happen," William said. As long as they stayed away from her desk, he didn't see how it possibly could.

"I know, but I am very thankful for these ten days together, too." Buffy paused, searching for the right words to say. "And I hope that we have...ten times a million more."

"Ten times a million, then?" William asked, raising an eyebrow in question. "That is quite a long time indeed."

Buffy rest her head on his shoulder and breathed him in. "That's just what I'm hoping for."

The two remained seated on the couch for some time, the gentle music being the only sound in the room.

"Merry Christmas, William."

"Merry Christmas, my heart."

TBC...

* * *

Thank you all, as always for the feedback! I really do appreciate hearing such lovely compliments and reading such kind words. It's a definite perk right now at this point in time when my life is extremely hectic and conflicting. Athough I'm still somewhat on a break regarding the fandom and my sites, I am enjoying working on this story and I'm so glad that you all are continuing to enjoy reading it!

So, as always, please leave any and all comments, thoughts, questions, praise, etc. ;) I love reading it all!

Thank you!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Dawn woke Buffy up at 8:30, and she was clearly eager to get the gift opening process underway. William was already awake since he was still so used to waking up with the sun, and he was already busy working on unpacking and setting up his new laptop on the kitchen table when the girls walked into the living room.

"Good morning," William greeted, when he saw a giddy Dawn and his listless girlfriend, who looked as if she needed several more hours of sleep.

"Morning, William," Dawn said cheerfully.

Dawn passed William and kept walking towards the Christmas tree. She bent down to look at the gifts around the tree and mentally counted how many were hers. Buffy, on the other hand, walked up to William and didn't stop walking until she was pressed up against his chest.

"G'morning," Buffy grumbled, closing her eyes and wishing she could sleep in for a few more hours. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against him.

William chuckled at her grumpy tone of voice. "Good morning, Buffy," he said, hugging her gently and looking down at her. "Did you rest well, for the few hours you were able to sleep, that is?"

She wrinkled her forehead and tried not to think. "I think I'm a bit hung-over from all of the egg nog I had," she admitted.

"My poor dear," he said, running his hands up and down her back in a soothing manner. "Shall I start a pot of coffee? I have read that is the best way to relieve the after effects of alcohol."

"That would be lovely," she said. "Thank you so much."

"Of course." William looked down at her once more, smoothed back an errant strand of hair behind her ear, and turned towards the kitchen. Buffy sat down on the couch, hoping that she could just sit here while Dawn passed out the rest of the presents. Since Buffy and William had exchanged presents the night before, most of the gifts were for Dawn.

Not that Dawn was complaining about it, or anything. She was already picking up presents and setting them down in a chair by the tree. Dawn placed a few beside Buffy - gifts that were from distant relatives who only kept sending presents at the memory of their mother, and a few that were to herself to give the illusion of more presents under the tree.

William walked back into the living room with a steaming cup of coffee, and Buffy could feel herself perk up a bit at just smelling the delicious aroma. Of course, that could have also been because of William's smile and how closely he sat next to her.

"Better?" William asked after she had taken a few sips.

"Much." And she didn't mean just because of the coffee.

* * *

On Sunday, Dawn left with her friends for her week long skiing trip. William and Buffy settled down to watch a couple movies for the rest of the afternoon. They also finished setting up William's laptop and spent several hours together figuring out everything they could about his new gift.

Although both of them had enjoyed having Dawn and their friends around to spend the holiday together, once everyone was gone and the two had the apartment to themselves, things just seemed to click and time stopped. Truthfully, both Buffy and William had become used to having the place to themselves and it was nice to get back to that feeling of closeness. Although they only had a week together before Dawn came back for the final two weeks of her winter vacation, Buffy promised to make the most of it.

* * *

When Monday morning rolled around, Buffy regrettably dragged herself out of bed to prepare for a full day of work. Spending the entire weekend at home with Dawn and William had been just what she needed - some relaxing time with the two people that meant the most to her. Nevertheless, it was time to get back to real world and continue to make a living. Although Buffy didn't hate her job by any means, she would have loved to take another few days off from work and spend them with William.

They were becoming closer each day, and she always delighted in watching William become more comfortable with innocent public displays of affection. He was even beginning to instigate them himself. Buffy wished that they'd had more time to explore where their relationship was headed and not have her work interfere.

In keeping to her daily routine, Buffy showered, dressed, and prepared herself for a day at the gallery. When she walked out, she was greeted to breakfast, a morning tradition that she was beginning to rely on having every day.

"Morning," she said when she sat down at the table.

"Good morning," William said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, and you?"

"As usual, yes."

Buffy still had trouble getting used to the fact that he was such an early riser and clearly a morning person. "We're going to have to break this nasty habit of yours, waking up at sunrise," she said. "I just don't know how you can do it every day."

"Well, considering that I have done this ever since I was born, I have become quite accustomed to it," William explained.

"Well, don't worry...spend enough time with me and I will break that bad habit of yours," Buffy teased.

William flushed a bit, yet surprisingly, not as much as he thought he might, and definitely not as much as he would have if he had heard her say this two weeks ago. "I will be looking forward to it then," he said, with a sly look on his face.

Now, it was Buffy's turn to blush.

* * *

Anya had requested the day off to spend some extra time with Xander while he was on his holiday vacation, so Willow and Buffy were the only two working at the gallery that morning. Neither was expecting any major rushes, since the day after Christmas was over was probably one of the slowest days for major paintings and commissions.

As 12:30 was beginning to roll around and not a single person had walked into the gallery, Buffy was beginning to think that it might be best if they simply closed early for the day. After all, there was no reason for both of them to be sitting around waiting for nothing to happen. She walked back to Willow's office room to suggest that very idea to her.

"Hey, Willow, do you think we should just go ahead and close up early for the day?" Buffy asked.

Willow looked up at her friend and tried to pull off a thoughtful expression. "I don't know...I'm sure people will start showing up eventually," she replied.

"I doubt it. I was thinking about closing at either 1:00 or 1:30," she explained. "I mean, no one has even come inside yet."

Just then, the bell over the front door rang out and Buffy jumped, wondering who it might be. Willow followed her out to the main room of the gallery and both girls stopped in their tracks when they saw who was standing in the doorway.

"William!" Buffy cried out in joy, walking up to him and giving him a quick, but tight, hug. "What are you doing here? _How _did you get here?"

William smiled down at her and then quickly glanced at Willow with a gleam in his eyes. "I...uh, simply found directions and phoned a cab to come pick me up."

Buffy looked back at Willow, who had suddenly found something on her shoes very interesting to look at. "Oh really, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well, whatever reason you're here, I'm so glad you are," Buffy said, hugging him once more. "Since you've never been here before, I'll give you the official tour of my gallery and studio."

Willow smiled at the two blondes standing in front of her. Yes, she had definitely done the right thing to call William and tell him to come visit the gallery today. It looked like just the pick-me-up that Buffy needed.

"Well, I have a lot of, um...paperwork to get through," Willow lamely spoke. "So, I'll see you two later. William, it was so great of you to stop by."

When Willow left, Buffy turned to face him with a beaming smile on her face. "I'm so glad you came here today," she said. "It was incredibly boring, but now...it's just great."

"Well, I insist that you thank Willow then," William said. "She called your apartment and suggested that I visit."

"I will have to thank her, you can make sure of that," she said, although Buffy also made a note to make sure and yell at her first for meddling with her love life.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him towards the gallery. "I want to give you the full tour."

She led him through the three gallery rooms, which were all pretty bare at the moment. "These are where the gallery openings are held, and my paintings, along with other artists', are displayed," Buffy explained. "I do things a bit differently than other independent artists. I like to have a mix of my paintings along with the other local artists so that the potential customers and clients can see a mixture of compositions, techniques, styles, and things like that. That way if they purchase another artist's work, I will at least get a percentage."

William listened to Buffy explain how she ran her business as he gazed at the few beautiful portraits that were hung on the walls. She had clearly captured a wide range of emotions in every portrait she had painted, from anger and despair, to joy and surprise.

"These are incredible," William said.

"Well, they're not all mine," Buffy said. "But a few left are. I'm getting ready for my new gallery design and my new series of paintings," she continued on. "I've been keeping it a big secret from everyone else until the opening night."

"Do you have any idea when that may be?"

"Hopefully in a couple of weeks. I'm about done with my share of the work and the paintings from other artists and museum galleries are almost settled," Buffy told him. "I'm really looking forward to this one. You'll have to attend on my opening night."

"But of course," he agreed.

"Now, I want to show you my studio," Buffy said, pulling him in a new direction.

The two walked into a brightly lit, large studio space. Both blank and partially painted canvases lined the walls, and easels were also scattered here and there. The studio was lined with floor to ceiling windows, allowing plenty of natural light into the room for Buffy to paint by.

"It's not exactly the tidiest place on earth," Buffy said as she dropped his hand to let him walk around on his own. "But this is where I come to get away from everything. I can just pick up my paintbrush and...I'm centered, back to basics, and where I can freely paint however and whatever I want to."

"It must be wonderful," William said. "To have your dream job and be such a success with it."

"Thank you," she said, blushing at his compliment. "It can be tough at times...it _was_ tough getting this place started up, but it's been worth it, every single minute of it."

It went unspoken that the exact same thing could be said about their relationship.

"Now, if you promise to keep it a secret, I'll let you know what my theme for the next opening is going to be," Buffy said. "Willow knows, but she has sworn upon penalty of death to not say a word until opening night."

"I would love to see what you have been working on," William said. "And I will not tell a soul."

"I know you won't," Buffy said. "I just like to tease you as often as I can."

She walked over to the other side of the room and pulled back several drapes hiding the few canvases that were completed.

What William saw were paintings with rich, vibrant colors, loose and somewhat choppy brush strokes, and a blurriness that was predominantly found in -

"Impressionism!" he gasped. "Why, this is your take on impressionism."

"Bingo!" She said, stepping back to stand beside him and squeezing his arm. Buffy stepped closer towards William and wrapped his arm around her waist, hungry for contact between the two of them. "I know impressionism was just up and coming in 1882. Manet, Monet, Renoir...oh gosh, I get chills thinking that they were actually alive and painting these incredible things that were considered radical in your time. I mean, you all had the Salons back then, something I would just absolutely die to see, and it was new, original for it's time, while also being scandalous and risqué-"

"Buffy, are you saying that you decided upon this series with myself in mind?"

Her face softened as she gazed into his fathomless blue eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you." She walked around the room and pulled off a few more covers. "These are all my impressionist takes on the surrounding area. The beach, which is just a few miles away. The park, where we have a small bridge and stream underneath. The Expresso Pump, although if that place has ever looked as nice as it does in my painting, I surely missed out on it. And the desert, several miles north of here."

"Buffy, these are incredible," William said in awe. "You're just so talented."

"Thank you," she spoke softly. "And other artists have their own renditions of the surrounding area. My only requirement was that it had to be in a European Impressionist style of the late 1800s."

William walked around the rest of the studio, taking in the entire atmosphere of the room. "This is simply...an incredible accomplishment, Buffy."

He looked in the other corner of the room and noticed a smaller canvas, which was also covered, behind a much larger one that she had shown him. The cover of the canvas appeared to have a layer of dust on it, telling him that it had been a while since Buffy had touched that painting.

"What is this one over here?" He asked, pointing towards the smaller covered canvas.

"Oh, nothing important," Buffy rushed to explain. "Just a painting that didn't go so well."

"May I see?"

Buffy silently groaned. Of all the paintings in her studio, why did he have to be so interested in the one that was of him?

"Sure thing," she finally answered. Buffy picked up the canvas and placed it on an easel. As she sheet fell to the floor, William's eyes widened when he saw almost an exact mirror image stare back at him.

"Buffy," he gasped. "This is...is this how you see me?"

Buffy looked at the painting, wondering what he saw. "What?"

"You've painted this with such...such emotion and caring," he finally said. "Did you paint this quite recently? Although my hair can be somewhat annoyingly long, I do not think it is quite that long."

Buffy paused, unsure of how to say that she had actually painted it weeks before they'd ever met face to face. But, then again, with everything else that was so bizarre in their lives, what more could this new information do to their relationship.

"I, uh, actually..."

"Yes?"

"This was actually painted back in mid November," she finished.

William thought on this for several long seconds, trying to figure out what that meant. "Then...then this was painted before we ever met?" he asked.

"That's right," Buffy said, slightly nodding.

"And all you had to go with was the description of myself that I wrote in our journal?"

"Right again." She looked up at him, hoping this wouldn't worry him too much. "You know the weirdest thing? I managed to get this incredible shade of blue for your eyes and after I finished painting, I couldn't recreate the color. It was just...like it was meant to happen only this one time, for my portrait of you." Buffy ran her hand down his cheek, as the realization that something bigger than just the two of them being able to stand in the same room together, was going on here.

"Then, you are saying that it is almost as if something mystical possessed you to paint this?" he asked.

"I don't know what I'm saying, William. All I know is that I painted almost an exact replica of your face without having actually ever seen it before."

William thought of what to say, of how he should react to this news. Finally, he reached out to touch her soft cheek, to run his fingertips down the column of her throat and then to rest on her shoulders. "Then I guess it is just another sign that we truly were meant to be together," he finally spoke. "It is almost as if this painting was a sign of things to come, our destiny."

"Our destiny?" she whispered back.

"Yes. Our destiny to...to be together," William ended.

Buffy found herself quickly blinking back tears at his moving words. "Thank you so much, William."

"For what?"

"For always knowing what to say."

Having said that, Buffy did what she had been dying to do for days now, especially ever since she'd read his entry in their new journal on the night before Christmas. She raised herself up onto her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips to his.

Buffy felt William tense and freeze underneath her palms, which were resting on his shoulders. But as she gently kissed him again, she could feel him relax into her embrace and begin to actually kiss her back. And as she ran her hands from his shoulders to his neck, she could feel any tension left quickly leave his body.

_Oh God, I am dying. I must be dying,_ William thought, for he knew that he was nearing heaven as Buffy ran her fingers through his hair and gently massaged the back of his neck while she continued to show him with her own mouth how to respond. His hands came to rest on the small of her back as he lowered his head to deepen their kiss - _his first kiss_ - and felt her press her entire body against his. _Oh, Buffy. Buffy, Buffy, Buffy..._

It was suddenly every stupid cliché in the book that had ever been written about a kiss - electricity running through her veins, lightening shocks wherever their skin made contact together, bright colors bursting before her eyes. But all of those clichés were pretty dead on for Buffy, and as she deepened their kiss by slightly opening her mouth to gently press her tongue against his lips for the first time, she knew that this is what a first kiss really should feel like.

Pure, unadulterated love.

Some time later - seconds, minutes, hours - neither one was too sure when they finally pulled back from each other, Buffy opened her eyes and sent him a shaky smile, clearly affected in the power of what they had just shared. She watched William's reaction, wondering what he would say - or what she should say - next.

"Buffy..." William whispered hoarsely, unsure of what to say after one was just doing something so intimate. Should he thank her? _No, _he quickly though, casting that idea away. He couldn't bear it if she laughed at his untrained words right now. "Buffy, my heart, I...I-"

Buffy silenced him with one more gentle kiss. "I know, William. Trust me, I know."

TBC

* * *

:) I hope this was what everyone has been waiting for!

And I hope all of my readers in the US have a fun, wonderful, and safe Thanksgiving - and have plenty of delicious food! Thank you for all of the reviews and support for my story, it means a lot to me. I'm just thrilled that all of you are still enjoying this story, there is still plenty to come!

Take care everyone, and please leave me a review letting me know what you thought!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

Tuesday morning began like any other morning. Buffy woke up, showered, and dressed to head into work for the afternoon. She came out of her bedroom and could both hear and smell William preparing breakfast for the two of them. Once she was in the kitchen, the two greeted each other as usual; however, rather than a friendly hug, Buffy walked right into William's arms and soundly kissed him "good morning."

Eventually, William stepped back and looked down at the petite woman standing before him. He was still unused to such affection, to kiss the woman he loved so openly and passioinately - and yet, it was normal in 2005. He saw it happen every day when he was out and about. Other couples were able to kiss and hug in public, so why should they be any different than the rest? William's internal struggle to acclimate himself to these aspects of the 21st century continued, but the struggle was less intense these days.

"Mmm, that was a very nice 'good morning,'" Buffy said as she smiled up at him and ran her hands down his arms. Maybe she could call in sick from work today and spend the entire morning and afternoon just making out with William...

"I do believe it is our best one yet," William agreed.

"Oh you just wait, I know how to make them even better," she teased, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner.

William managed to only blush slightly this time, which surprised Buffy at first. _He really is starting to get the hang of hearing how open we all are with affection and love, _Buffy thought. "Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything," she said. "I just love to tease you."

The two held on to each other for a beat more before stepping away.

"So, breakfast?" Buffy asked, walking over to sit at the kitchen table and look up at him.

"Coming right up."

* * *

William walked into the gallery at 12:30 carrying a take-out bag with two sandwiches and a couple bags of chips inside.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he greeted Willow, Anya, and Buffy.

"Hi William," Anya and Willow said together.

"Hey, you," Buffy said in a blissful tone of voice. She rose from her desk with a wide smile on her features and walked up closer towards him. She took their lunch from his hands and then raised her head to kiss him hello.

"Hello," he softly replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear before selfishly kissing her once more. It seemed incredibly wonton to show his affection for her in front of two of her closest friends, and yet when his lips touched hers, all thoughts and worries about appearance and what was "right" dissipated from his mind and he was only filled with thoughts of his beautiful Buffy.

Willow and Anya stared on in shock. Two days ago when they were at Buffy's apartment, neither of them had seen any type of intimate contact between the two blondes. The two women had been somewhat suspicious that their relationship wasn't as perfect as Buffy had led them to believe.

_How quickly things do change_, Willow thought, suddenly feeling as if she shouldn't be here watching something so private happening between the two. She looked at Anya, who was looking on intently and no doubt having fun doing so, but she, on the other hand, felt as if she was acting like a voyeur.

"I'm so glad you're here," Buffy said. "Suddenly my lunch break is definitely looking up."

"I'm glad I am the cause for it," he answered. "I stopped by the deli on the way over here and picked up sandwiches for the two of us."

"Thanks," she said. "C'mon, we can eat them in the back..." she cast a look at her two employees, who were sitting on the edge of her desk trying to look as if they weren't listening in on their conversation. "Where we won't be heard."

Anya "pfft"-ed and Willow tried to get away with her "who, me?" innocent expression, but Buffy simply smirked and walked away with William following her closely behind.

* * *

"Okay, now just grip it tightly up here with both hands, and then press down on the right."

"But...will that not-"

"Just do it, William."

For the first time, William was seated in the driver's seat of Buffy's Jeep. The two were in the high school parking lot, which was empty since all of the students were on winter vacation. Buffy had suggested driving lessons earlier in the week, but it wasn't until today that William finally worked up enough courage to accept her offer.

"Are you certain that I won't run into anything?"

Buffy nodded. "Please, the first lamp post is like...all the way over there." Buffy waved with her hand and quickly pointed to the lamp post. "If anything starts to happen, I'll just shift the car into neutral." Next, she pointed down the gear shift in between their seats, hoping that hearing that would comfort him.

"Alright then. Here goes." William gently placed his foot on the right pedal and the car began in inch forward.

When the car was going almost fifteen miles-per-hour, Buffy suggested, "How about you practice some on turns?" She placed a hand on the steering wheel and lightly turned it towards her direction. The car swerved right and William tried not to panic.

Finally, as William drove the car slowly down the middle of the parking lot, he looked over at her and smiled. "This is not as intimidating as I thought it might be."

"See?" She sat back and watched him turn the wheel to the left and drive down the other side of the parking lot. "You'll be a pro in no time at the rate you're going." Although she hoped that he might learn enough about driving a car to actually do so sometime in the future, Buffy wasn't too sure how she would go about getting him a driver's liscence since he didn't have any legal documentation. _Maybe that's something that Willow can help me out with_, Buffy thought, since her red-headed friend was such a computer whiz.

William applied pressure to the brake and gently stopped the car. "Do you really think I might be able to fully learn how to drive?"

Buffy looked at him, thinking of everything else that he had mastered the the few weeks he had been in 2004. William could cook, could call a taxi cab, understood computers and loved his laptop, and enjoyed televisions and other entertainment technology. "Yeah," she replied honestly. "I think that you might be a great driver. Let's just take things slowly, okay?"

"Alright."

"Let's try to work on reversing, okay?" Buffy suggested. She shifted the gear to the "R" second from the top, and let William experiment with driving backwards.

"Everything is reversed, which I guess is a fairly obvious statement," William remarked aloud. "I turn the wheel left and the car goes right."

"Exactly," she said. "Backing up was one of the things I had the most trouble with. I definitely hit a few posts while I was learning. We'll try to avoid that happening with you this time, okay?"

William fiddled around with straightening out the car, beginning to get a bit frustrated.

"Try to park in the actual parking space behind you," she suggested after seeing his aggravated look on his face.

"Now I am beginning to suspect that driving is not a possibility," William began. "I do not think that I am cut out for something so technologically advanced."

"C'mon," she said, nudging him in the arm. "You can do it, just give it a try."

William looked behind him at the solid white lines and slowly straighened the car and backed it up until he felt he was solidly between the two lines. "How did I do?" he asked at the end.

Buffy looked out the window at how centered he was in the parking space. It wasn't one hundred percent perfect, but for a first-time driver from 1882, it could have been much worse. "Looks great," she said cheerfully. She turned back around and leaned over, tenderly kissing him and surprising him at the same time.

She began to pull away, but William's hand darted out and pulled her shoulder back towards him, kissing her with more forcefulness than Buffy could ever recall - not that she was complaining, or anything. Buffy loved it when William took control; it made her feel like he was really catching on to everything.

"What was that for?" William asked when they finally broke for air.

"Let's just call it your reward for doing so well on your first day of driving," she answered. "How about every time you do something well, we get to make out for five minutes straight?" Buffy couldn't help but give an evil yet adorable grin at her suggestion and she wondered what William's reaction would be.

"Make out, huh?" William asked. He had only heard that term a few times since his first kiss with Buffy the other day, and it was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do with the woman he loved. The fact that when Buffy kissed him, he didn't want to stop - in fact, he wanted to go even further as long as it was with her - was becoming harder to ignore. In fact, just seconds ago he had actually reached out to kiss her again, and William could feel his 1882 ideals actually slipping away.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "So...you want to work on driving some more? Or are you really ready to give up?"

William sat up and put the car in the "drive" position, placed his hands on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. "Just tell me what to do," he said.

Buffy sat back in her seat with a smug smile on her face. _I knew that would get him_, she thought. Although, neither one was really loosing on the deal.

"Okay, so how about we work a bit more on backing up?"

* * *

After that day, William visited Buffy at the gallery every afternoon. He usually brought lunch for the two of them, which they ate in her back office while Willow or Anya watched the front desk. The two women were no doubt dying of curiosity to know about how their relationship was progressing, but Buffy was keeping quiet about most of what went on between William and herself.

Although Christmas had come and gone, the group of friends still had the New Year's Eve celebration to look forward to at the end of the week. Buffy had explained the typical traditions of New Year's Eve to William and told him that the Bronze always hosted a yearly New Year's Eve party, where TVs were installed around the room tuned to Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve Ball. William was intrigiued that the beginning of a new year was suddenly held with such anticipation and high regard; nonetheless, when he discovered that one of the traditions was to kiss the one you love at midnight, William had few objections to the celebration, no matter how over the top it seemed otherwise.

Friday came around all too quickly for the couple. Dawn would be coming back home Sunday evening, and although she only had two more weeks left to her winter break before returning to college for her spring semester, Buffy found herself suddenly wishing that the next semester would be starting the following Monday.

"Are you all set?" Buffy asked, walking out to the living room. She was fiddling with the backing of one of her earrings, and dropped her arms to her side when she was finished. She quickly spun around, giving William a quick modeling of her dress.

"Wow..." William muttered, his mouth dropping open at the sight of her evening attire. "Buffy...you - you look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, walking up to him and kissing him on the lips. Buffy had decided to go all out for the evening. It would be the first time since William had first appeared that she had worn something so revealing, but she decided that it was about time for him to get used to it. If William was going to be a permanent addition to her life - which she prayed every night that he would be - then he would have to get used to seeing her in less-covering clothing than jeans and sweaters.

Buffy was dressed in a knee-length, satin, black dress with red, glitterly flowers flowing down the side and the bottom hem. It v-necked in the front and dipped low enough just to show a hint of what was underneath. The back of the dress dipped to her mid-back and then laced down even further. Strappy black sandals and an elegant drop-necklace completed the outfit, as well as an elegant up-do that had taken her the better portion of an hour to complete.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she whispered before returning to her previous task.

William was dressed in black slacks with a dark blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. Buffy had picked out the shirt earlier in the week, saying that when she saw the color she knew that it would look great on him.

"Mmm...thank - thank you," he answered. William wrapped his hands around her waist and could feel the bare skin of her back against his fingertips. A chill raced through him at the warm touch of her skin, and he sent a silent prayer above that this gorgeous woman was his.

William rested his forehead against hers and gently ran his fingers down her cheeks. "Do you think we ought to be leaving now? Surely the others will be expecting us."

Buffy hesistated. Even though she had put a lot of effort into dressing up for the evening, a part of her wanted to say that they should just skip it. A part of her just wanted to curl up next to William on the couch and watch the celebration in New York from their living room. More than anything else, she just wanted to be with him in private, even more than showing him off to her friends or making an appearance to the party at the Bronze.

Finally, she shook her head, and with one more lingering kiss, she stepped back. "No, we really should go," she said. "It'll be okay," she said. "We still have tomorrow before Dawn gets back. One more day of peace."

"I shall be looking forward to seeing Dawn and hearing of her trip," William said. "However, I too will miss the..."

"Alone time?"

William nodded.

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

"10!"

"9!"

"8!"

Buffy hugged William tightly, watching him as he looked at the TV screens with interest, watching the flashing, glowing, lit up ball drop down the pole on the roof of One Times Square.

"7!"

She moved in front of him and pulled his head down towards hers, kissing him with all she had in her, trying to let him know...to let him know everything.

"6!"

William pulled back a second later, breathing heavily and desperate for more. "I thought that you were not suppose to kiss until it is after midnight!"

"5!"

Buffy shrugged and kissed him again, tasting sweat and the lemon-lime from his Sprite earlier in the evening. _God, William..._ she thought, feeling something inside of her begin to spiral out of control - her wanting for this beautiful man in front of her, was beginning to get out of control.

"4!"

"What can I say?" she asked loudly to be heard over all of the other voices and yelling. "I was never one to procrastinate!"

"Buffy," William began, moving closer so he could speak into her ear without having to yell. "You know how I feel..."

"3!"

"I know," she answered truthfully. And she really did - she had known for weeks...but a part of her inside was still too weak and not ready to give that one last part of her heart to another man so soon. "And - and I...and when I can say the words, I will...I will scream them aloud for everyone to hear!"

And having said that, she pressed against him, wanting to melt into him, and kissed him.

The two were so lost within each other that they never even heard the crowd reach "1" or sing "Auld Ayne Zyne."

* * *

It was almost 2:00 AM when Buffy and William arrived back at her apartment. Both were exhausted from being up on their feet for so long as well as the excitement back at the Bronze. After the clock had hit midnight, the partying had only increased and everyone had enjoyed themselves immensely.

Buffy headed back to her room to change for the evening while William went into the guest room - which he shoul really start thinking of as his bedroom - to do the same.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to complete his nightly routine, William climbed into bed, thinking that tomorrow might very well be the first morning that he did not wake with the sun rising. True to her word, Buffy was going to break that habit no matter what.

He turned off the light and pulled the covers up, turning on his side in hopes of falling asleep quickly.

A light knock on the door rose him from his attempted sleep, and he called out, "Buffy?"

She slowly opened the door but remained standing where she was in the doorway. The open window behind her let in enough moonlight to silhouette her outline, and William took a second to privately look at her.

"Yeah, it's me," she said. "Obviously."

"Is there something you needed?"

"Yeah, um...I was - I was wondering if I could stay with you tonight?" she softly asked. "We...y'know, not to do anything, but..." She looked around the dark room, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. "I'm just not ready to be away from you quite yet."

William froze, unsure of what to say. More than anything, he would love to fall asleep holding the woman he loved.

"Of - of course," he said, pulling the covers back to let her know that he did welcome her. William was grateful the lights were already turned out; Buffy couldn't see how bright he was blushing.

"Thank you," she said, walking inside and closing the door behind her. Buffy used what little light was in the room to navigate to his bed and slowly lowered herself to the mattress, lying down and moving closer to William.

She was dressed in one of her most conservative nightgowns, but knew that this was most likely very embaressing or strange for William. He lay on his side and she pressed a light kiss to his nose before turning around and laying on her other side, moving to be as close to him as possible.

"William..." she began softly. "I...I-"

William wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing her flush against his body. Although it was new and different, it was also wonderful - as if they were fit to rest this way together. A small part of him hoped that this might be a permanent change.

"When you are ready," he said. "Tell me then. I will wait forever if I must."

And that was the truth; William would gladly wait to hear the words from her lips, as long as they were able to be as close as this in the mean time.

"Thank you," she said. Buffy's hands rest against his and she squeezed it lightly in response. "Good night, William."

"Good night, my heart."

TBC...

* * *

I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out - with finals and moving out of my dorm room, things have been absolutely insane lately. Anyway, I'd like to think that I'm back on track and updates will become more regular.

I hoped everyone enjoyed the chapter - please leave a message saying what you thought, no matter how long or short you'd like to make it. I always love reading what people think of my story.

And in case I don't have another update until this, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my friends and readers out there - I hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, safe, joyous holiday.

I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out - with finals and moving out of my dorm room, things have been absolutely insane lately. Anyway, I'd like to think that I'm back on track and updates will become more regular.

I hoped everyone enjoyed the chapter - please leave a message saying what you thought, no matter how long or short you'd like to make it. I always love reading what people think of my story.

And in case I don't have another update until this, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my friends and readers out there - I hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, safe, joyous holiday.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Buffy was the first to wake up the next morning, and she did so very slowly, knowing that once she woke up their night together - their _first_ night falling asleep together - would be over. But as she woke and she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist and her back pressed against something - _someone _- she realized that maybe it wasn't so bad to wake up, especially if it was like this. Buffy couldn't help but softly smile as she felt William's breath on the back of her neck and his legs entwined with hers. She carefully rolled over and turned to look at William, who was still asleep.

Buffy couldn't believe how far they had come in only a few matter of weeks. It said a lot that she was becoming so wrapped up with William that she couldn't bear to be separated from him, and she could see the changes within herself. She was emotionally stronger, more secure in the idea of actually maintaining a relationship, and knew what she wanted. All she wanted was for William to stick around for another sixty years or so. And even that wouldn't be long enough.

Even more importantly, however, was that she could see the changes in William. He was becoming bolder and more secure in the 21st century with each passing day. If Buffy didn't know any better, she would say that he was actually meant to be in the 21st century, not the 19th, to begin with. He was adapting incredibly well, and along with it, acting more like a man who also knew what he wanted.

Buffy's silent musings would have continued on for longer if it wasn't for her noticing that William was beginning to wake. She watched him slightly move before opening his eyes.

"Hey you," she said softly, smiling at him as he turned his head to look at her. _God, why is it that guys always have the best eye lashes?_ she couldn't help but wonder as she lost herself in his eyes.

"Hey," William replied, unable to form any other words at the sight of seeing her lying right beside him. Her hair was a mess and her face was make-up-less, and William thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

"Sleep well?"

William stretched and answered, "Yes, I did actually."

Buffy nodded towards the clock on his night table. "This is the first day you've slept through the sunrise," she remarked. "See? I told you I'd manage to break that habit of yours."

He nodded. "Well, I must say that waking up to your face is much more pleasant than simply seeing the sunrise. I would accept this change any day."

"Sounds good to me," Buffy said. Wondering how much more she would be able to say before his nerves began to creep up on him, she continued on speaking. "We should make it a nightly routine."

He sat up slightly, wondering if she really was inviting him into her bedroom every night - something that was simply not done in his era. Although they hadn't done anything last night, the implications of what _could_ happen behind closed doors were still were screaming at him. "Buffy-"

She quickly shook her head and looked away, wishing she hadn't said anything to begin with. "Forget it. That was stupid of me, and-"

William reached out and took her arm, calming her movements and urging her to look at him. "Buffy, I did not say 'yes' or 'no.' I - I mean, I enjoyed this."

"Me too," she answered softly. "Really, just forget it. I'm just being stupid Buffy and screwing things up before the day has even started. Way to start out the New Year, huh?"

William shrugged and smiled a bit. "I don't know, I think it has been a pretty good start."

"Oh, you," she whispered. "C'mere." She gently pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips.

When they broke away, Buffy smiled. "Much better way to wake up," she whispered.

"I agree."

Then she scrunched up her nose and grinned. "Except for the morning breath aspect of it."

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed with little excitement, which was just what William and Buffy had hoped for. On Sunday, the couple took advantage of their last full day together before Dawn came back home for the rest of her break and went out for brunch at a newly-opened, quaint restaurant called The Silver Spoon, before coming back to the apartment for the rest of the afternoon.

Buffy took a bit of time to show William how to import music CDs directly to his laptop and how to customize his desktop images and settings, as well as a few other little things about his laptop that William still wasn't sure about himself. While he surfed around on the Internet and added some of her CD collection to his own computer, Buffy decided to get some paperwork for the gallery completed before she went in tomorrow morning.

After making - and because of their inability to take their concentration off one another, almost destroying - dinner together, Buffy and William decided to spend the rest of the evening watching movies curled up together on the couch. When the first movie was almost at its end, Buffy decided it was time to introduce William into the notion of turning their attention away from the actual movie and towards each other.

Buffy and William wound up watching two movies that night, although if asked, neither one would have actually been able to fully summarize either one of them.

* * *

"Ready to call it a night?" Buffy asked, turning off the television and VCR. She raised her hands above her head and stretched, her body stiff from being curled up for so long.

"I suppose so," William answered, rubbing her back as she leaned against him once more. "I think I am still a bit tired from our celebration last night."

"Me too, I think I'm still trying to catch up on all of my lack of sleep as well," she agreed. "C'mon, we can always sleep in again tomorrow, too. Dawn won't be back home until later in the afternoon, she said so herself."

The two stood up and started walking towards William's room. When they reached the doorway, Buffy decided to take his hand and pull him towards the end of the hallway - towards her bedroom.

"Buffy," William began. "About this morning-"

"What I said this morning," she interrupted, "was said in complete seriousness."

"Really?"

She dropped his hand and stopped walking before turning to face him. "Of course," she said. "I...I liked having you there with me for a change, rather than having a hallway and two doors separate us like usual.

William couldn't deny that he felt the same way as Buffy, but there was still that 19th century part of him that was having trouble giving up a notion that had "no" written all over it in capital letters.

"And let me just say this," Buffy added. "Although something like this was just not done back in your time, it is completely normal and okay for something like this to happen now in 2004, or 2005 I mean."

"I know," William said. He took one more look at his bedroom before making up his mind. "Just let me change for the evening and then I will join you."

Buffy's face brightened immensely at his answer. She was beginning to think that he would say no and that was that. The very fact that he said yes was another sign that he truly was beginning to adapt to the 21st century way of life.

"Okay," she said. "Great. Just, uh, come on in when you're all set."

Buffy went into her room and William walked back down the hall to his. Fifteen minutes later, he stood in front of her half-closed door, wondering if he should knock first or just come inside. Finally, he decided to gently tap on the door before pushing it open more, something he thought wasn't either risky or overly-safe.

"Hey," she said, leaning out of the bathroom. "Just let me brush my teeth and then..."

William nodded and looked around the room while Buffy finished up for the night. The very first day he had shown up in the twenty-first century was the only other time he had ever stood in her room. Since then, he had stayed away from her bedroom, simply because it was _her_ bedroom, and something typically considered very intimate and personal by anyone's standards. When he had first arrived, William hadn't wanted to invade her space, but now it was a completely different story.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at their desk. Things hadn't changed too much since he arrived; in fact, the only differences were the small silver picture frames that now rest in the center of the desk. William stood and walked to the desk and picked up one of the frames, looking down at a photo of the two of them sitting on the couch in the living room.

Dawn had taken that photo of the two of them on Christmas Day before they had all gone out for the evening. Dawn had made a comment saying that Buffy didn't have any photos of the two of them and had rushed back to her room to find her camera. She had taken several pictures of the Buffy and himself, both together and separately, and they used up the rest of the roll with various photos of the three of them so they could take it to have the roll developed the following day.

William had seen the photos when they picked them up, but he didn't know that Buffy had several framed near her bed. He turned and looked at her nightstand and saw another frame with a different photo of the two of them inside.

Buffy walked up behind William and wrapped her arms around him. "What'cha looking at?" she asked, pressing her cheek against the side of his arm to look around him.

"The photographs that Dawn took on Christmas Day," William answered. "I didn't know that you had so many of them framed in here."

Buffy shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? They're the first photos I have of us together...and they're really important to me."

William sat the frame back down on the desk and walked back towards her bed, sitting down as she sat beside him. "Sometimes it is just so...sudden, so surprising that I'm here in 2005 with you."

"I agree," she said. "Then what's the problem?"

"Hm? Oh, well I wouldn't call it a problem per se, but I am just sometimes surprised that you...that you like me. That you even noticed me to begin with."

Buffy frowned, wondering where this was suddenly coming from. Or had it been something inside of him that he had been trying to hide from her? After all, Buffy was familiar with that tactic. The last time she had tried to hide something from him, it had definitely bit her in the butt, so maybe William was trying to clear things up before they got out of his control. However, no matter what caused his confessions, Buffy was grateful that she could hear his worries and hopefully help console him.

"Of course you're important to me," she said, placing her palm against his cheek. "William, you are quickly becoming - no, you _are _one of the most important things in my entire life."

"And you are mine, as well," he answered. "I just...back in my time, I was the laughing stock of the ton. I - I was ridiculed at parties, talked about behind my back, and-"

"And that doesn't matter anymore," Buffy spoke softly, yet with force. "William, you're here in 2005, not 1882 - or I guess it would be 1883 now, right? But what really matters is that you're here with me."

_Wow, talk about role reversals_, she couldn't help but think with a small quirk of her lips. She gently kissed him, wishing that she could take away all of the pain that he'd had to endure.

"If you and I were back at one of those so-called parties, I would give them something else to talk about," she said. "I would make out with you right in the middle of the dance floor, where everyone could see, letting them all know what a great, loving man you are."

William blushed at the thought, wondering what the reaction really would be if the people he associated with saw him and Buffy kissing at the intensity that they frequently kissed at. "I don't believe that would do anything to help the amount of talking about myself at these social gatherings."

"Oh no? Well, I know what we can do instead." Buffy wickedly grinned and winked. "We could dance. Bronze style!"

William tried not to laugh, but couldn't help himself. The thought of them dancing so closely and so very suggestively together in front of Cecily, her circle of superficial friends, and the so-called gentlemen made him feel surprisingly better. Yes, if Buffy was with him in 1882, there would definitely be another type of gossip going on.

He gently pulled Buffy towards him and kissed her. No matter how many times he did that, William was always amazed at how soft her lips were and how amazing kissing her felt. He could very easily lose track of time and practically lose entire thoughts and plans at the feel of her lips pressing against his, and he had no shame in the fact that she was the one who taught him almost everything he knew.

"What brought this on?" she asked quietly when they parted. "I mean, I'm usually the one who freaks out over anything I can about our relationship, not the other way around."

"I - I am not quite certain," he answered. "I just...Buffy, you must understand that I do miss my family terribly. I think about them quite often. I wonder how they are faring without my presence every day. Although I do not miss the high society of the times, I miss watching Emmy grow into the woman she was becoming. And Mother..."

"I don't doubt that at all, William. Being ripped apart from them with no warning has got to be confusing and painful." She worriedly bit her lip, wondering if what he had said really meant more than he was letting on. "Your mother and sister aren't the only things that you miss in your time, are they?"

William shook his head. "There isn't very much else to miss," he began. "But sometimes I do miss the slower pace of my life there, how everyone isn't constantly rushing to get to a specific place, how it isn't quite as loud there as it is here." He briefly smiled as he continued, "Sometimes I even miss the clothing and food, as trivial as that may be."

Buffy wondered how to approach her next question. Finally, she quietly asked, "Does that mean that-"

"I want to go back? No, or at least..." He died off and looked away for a second. "_No_. No, I do not want to go back, not when I have the chance for a life here with you. But what if I have no choice in the matter, like we have discussed before? I can see how vital I am becoming to your life and, of course, yours in mine. I only now begin to worry if we should be parted. Before, we had only known each other as...confidants. But now...I don't know if I could go back to the way of life 200 years ago, and especially without you there beside me."

"Then let's hope that you won't ever have that happen," she said, still marveling over the fact that she was getting ready to tell him the same words that he had spoken to her a few weeks ago. "But like you told me, I would take these weeks together and only these weeks, rather than have never gotten this opportunity at all. To never have touched you, kissed you, would be a million times worse than at least getting to experience it for a few weeks."

"But I would hate to leave you," he continued. "Now that we are...together, to leave you..."

And that's when it hit her - Buffy knew that she loved him, without any doubts - and the thought was both warming and terrifying. The fact that William's worry was over how it might affect her - that his main concern over everything was how _she_ would cope and deal with everything - made her heart simply melt.

"Look," she started. "Whatever happens, happens. But we shouldn't have any regrets about what is going on between us right now. Our relationship...it never should have been to begin with, but it is, William. It is. So, I think that we should just take everything day by day, and don't ever regret a single second of it."

Buffy shook her head and briefly smiled, thinking for a second how she never thought _she_ would be the one trying to console William's fears. "I can't believe I'm telling all of this to you now, but...I understand it now. And I would rather be with you for a month than have never gotten a day with you to begin with."

That part of Buffy was shocked that she was now consoling him over the very idea that she herself could not come to terms with a few weeks ago. Even though her relationship with William did teeter on that one important question of, "Will time let him stay?" Buffy had actually become secure and strong enough to simply deal and enjoy every minute she spent with him.

"Thank you," William said. "For everything you've said."

"No, William...like I always say back, thank you," she said. "Do you want to know how I had the courage and the belief to say all of that just then? It's because of you. You've made me...me again, and there aren't words enough to thank you for that."

The two sat in silence for a few beats more, simply relaxing in holding one another, when William yawned.

"C'mon," she softly said. "Let's get some sleep."

The two pulled back her covers and slid into bed. Buffy was on the right side and William lay down on the left. A small part of her couldn't help but feel a rush of giddiness over the fact that they were basically forming "their" side of the bed. Once settled, the two moved closer towards each other until Buffy was close enough to rest her cheek against his chest.

Although William was nearly asleep, Buffy had been thinking over everything he had just said. Hoping he was still awake, she spoke up. "I have an idea," she murmured.

"Hmm? About what, love?" he asked sleepily.

"About my Impressionism opening," she said. "Oh, I have an awesome idea."

"What is it, my heart?" He groggily questioned.

Buffy looked down at him and frowned, not wanting to delay him from sleep. "No, don't worry about it now. I'll tell Anya, Willow, and you all together on Monday."

"Sounds like a plan," he managed to respond. "Good night." He wrapped an arm around her side and pressed a loving kiss to her temple.

"Good night, William."

TBC

* * *

So, for all of you wondering what William has been going through over the last few days, I hope this chapter helped answer that question. I'm so sorry for the delay with getting this chapter out, with with the holidays, family and friends, and so forth, it just got pushed back a bit. Anyway, I hope that every one of my friends and readers had a great holiday and a good start to the New Year (Just like Buffy and William!)

Also, since posting the last chapter, this story picked up a few more awards! It picked up the awards for Best Romance, Best AU, and Best WIP (RU) at the VKA, and Best Romance, Best William (RU) and Best Romance (RU) for Best of 2005 Round at the LLGA. THANK YOU for the wonderful friends who nominated me there and at the couple of new sites, as well!

So, like always, I just ask that you leave a review letting me know what you thought. Believe it or not, we're slowly making out way to the end of our journey with Buffy and William, so I hope that I'm continuing to meet your expectations with this fic.

Thank you all! And there will be more soon!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

Since Dawn was back home for her last two weeks of winter break, Buffy and William had both decided that it would be better for all three of them if they didn't sleep together in the same room at night. Although they weren't too happy about the situation, neither one wanted Dawn asking any questions or jumping to any conclusions. However, that didn't mean that they couldn't be discrete and still find a way to spend the later part of the night together.

It was late in the night and William was still awake. He had said goodnight to the girls a few hours ago, but was lying on his bed reading the fourth Harry Potter book. He was getting ready to close the book for the night when he heard quiet knock on his bedroom door. He looked over at his clock on the night table. _1:30_, he thought. _Just like every other night this past week, right on time._

The door slowly opened, and Buffy walked inside, carefully closing the door behind her. She was dressed in a satin pajama set; the spaghetti-strapped top was a simple shade of pink, while the calf-length bottoms were a striped pattern of pink, green, and white. She smiled brightly at him before walking up and jumping onto the bed.

"Hey there, you," she said softly. She leaned up and gave him a soft peck on the lips.

"Hello," he said, placing his bookmark inside the book and setting it aside. "What's up?"

"'What's up?'" she teased, mocking his greeting with a poorly done British accent. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say that, _and _not blush at my scandalous attire." She winked when she said the last part, thinking back to their first morning and his clear discomfort when he saw her climb out from underneath the sheets.

William grinned. "There have been many firsts in the last couple of days," he said.

"That there have," she agreed, leaning up to kiss him again. "And I don't regret a one of them."

"Me either. Besides, even though it is still new to me, I think am beginning to understand the advantages of you dressed in such a fashion," he continued.

William raised her head and pulled her closer towards him. As he gently kissed her, he couldn't help but think on just how addicting kissing Buffy had become. But when he felt her tongue press against his lips, he forgot any and all thoughts that were racing though his mind, as he always did whenever they kissed so passionately.

"Not that I mind in the slightest," William whispered hoarsely when they broke apart, "but what brings you here?"

"I brought our journal," Buffy explained, holding it up in her hand. "I finally finished writing my first entry, sorry it took me so long to start writing. So, since we don't have to leave it in the desk anymore, I thought it'd be best to bring it here myself."

William took the journal from her hand and placed it at his side. "Thank you, I will read over it as soon as I can."

"Good." Buffy pressed her head against his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I wish I could stay here the rest of the night."

"As do I," he agreed, breathing in the scent of her hair before pressing a kiss on the top of her head. _God, if Mother could see me now_, he couldn't help but think with a sight smile on his face.

"But who knows what Dawn might say tomorrow morning," Buffy regretfully said. "I...I don't want her to think...well, you know, that we're..."

_Oh_, William thought, understanding what she was not saying aloud. "Right, and I agree."

Buffy smiled up at him before rising and sitting back on her knees. "Don't worry, she'll only be here for a bit over a week and then we'll have the apartment to ourselves for four more months."

William couldn't help but grin and nod. "Yes, that is something to look forward to."

She leaned forward to kiss him again, pouring all the emotion and love that she felt for this wonderful man into her kiss. "Oh William," she whispered, "there are so many things to look forward to, you have no idea..."

Whenever the two of them kissed, William was beginning to notice a reoccurring habit. When Buffy placed her hands on his waist, he would wrap his around her neck. When she moved her hands towards his neck, he would just trade places and leave his hands resting against her side. And part of him was beginning to think there was...more, than just leaving your hands hanging like dead weight while doing something so intimate and loving.

Suddenly, he realized that a large part of him wanted to tell her that he _did _want to know...he wanted to know what was beyond kissing and everything else that the high society of his era abhorred. But he didn't want to rush them, didn't want to push her, and didn't want to act so hastily that they'd regret it later. And when he glanced down and saw how deeply Buffy had been affected by their heated embrace, he actually had to fight to keep himself from reaching out and touching her and feeling what that part of her felt like. Nevertheless, he pushed back his desire, swallowed back his words, and mentally scolded himself for being so wanton.

"I'd better be getting back to my room," she whispered regretfully. "I have work tomorrow morning, after all."

"Right," William said. He sat up and reached out to touch her one last night for the night. "I love you," he added softly.

"I-" Buffy's voice caught in her throat. Some part of her was just still unable to say those three simple words - words that William longed to hear, she was sure of it, words that should be so easy to say, especially when she meant it with every inch of her heart. Saying those words meant giving her heart completely to this man, and whether it was just so sudden or the information surrounding their entire relationship too weird, she still wasn't ready to give in yet.

"I know," she whispered. "Good night."

"Good night, my heart."

Buffy kissed him once more, her lips lingering over his for one second, before she climbed off of his bed and left the room.

William lay there for several long minutes, thinking over what had just happened. He had actually been fine with seeing her dressed for the evening - it might be the first time he hadn't blushed at all. But even more importantly, he had actually been curious about perusing their intimacy even further. It was as if kissing was no longer enough, and as he rolled over to turn off the lamp and sleep, he made a note to talk to Buffy about it the next time they were together in private.

* * *

William woke up to silence and when he looked towards the window, he noticed that it was shining brightly from behind the curtains. When he rolled over to look at the clock on his night table, it read 9:30. _Buffy!_ he thought, sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes. It was the first time that he had missed waking up to help her with breakfast and see her off to work.

He rose from bed and left his room, heading towards the kitchen and wondering if she had fixed anything herself. When he approached the table, he saw a sheet of paper with Buffy's handwriting on the top half lying in the center of the table. He sat down and read what she had written.

_Good morning, Sleepyhead! See? Not as easy as thought it was to keep waking up so early in the morning, huh? I just wanted to let you know that I managed to cook myself breakfast without burning the building down, and that I'll be back at the usual time for dinner and a relaxing evening with my favorite guy on the planet (That would be you, by the way.)_

_I'll call you this afternoon._

_Yours, _

_Buffy_

William picked up the note and folded it in half before returning to his room and placing it in the drawer of his night table. He didn't dare throw out anything that she had written to him; everything she did to show her care was important to him.

He then picked up their journal, which was still on his bed, and returned to the kitchen to make breakfast for himself.

Several minutes later, Dawn emerged from her room, blinking from the brightness of the room and walking to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Dawn," William greeted from the stove.

"G'morning," she grumbled.

William smiled, thinking about how similar she sounded to her sister in the morning; neither of the two were morning people, that was for sure. "I am making myself some toast and eggs, would you like some?"

"Yes please," she said, walking towards the fridge and taking out the orange juice. When she sat down at the table with a glass full of juice in her hand, she said, "Thank goodness someone in this house can cook."

"Your sister isn't terrible," he said, trying to defend his girlfriend. "She has improved, you must give her that."

"That's because she's been watching you very carefully," Dawn corrected him. He sat a plate with eggs and two pieces of toast down in front of her and she muttered a "thanks" before picking it up and heading into the living room. A second later, William heard the television come to life and what could only be the sound of morning cartoons.

William sat in the seat that Dawn had just vacated and opened the journal to Buffy's entry. He began to eat as he started to read what she had written, but quickly became too absorbed in her words to worry about eating while his food was still warm.

_January 11, 2005_

_Dearest William,_

_I'm about to head into your room, well, sneak might be the best word for it, but wanted to write to you for the first time. This was such a thoughtful, meaningful present, William, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. It really is great to have this form of communication open to us again, as it was the catalyst for our relationship, it's what got everything started to begin with, and I'm so thankful that you went out that day and bought that journal and desk. What would we have done without those events taking place?_

_See? I'm rambling even now. Basically, what I'm saying is that I'm just so grateful that what has happened has happened. I can't imagine my life without you in it now...you're just so important to me, I don't know what I'd do without you. And I should tell you that more often - in those important words, but...I'm so bad at saying what I mean face to face, so I figured I would say it through words - after all, that's what our journal is for, right?_

_Basically, it comes down to this. Part of me, a small, barely there but definitely still with me, part of me, is still afraid to go in 100 - that if I fully give my heart to you, it can be fully broken. I think it's still an aftereffect of Warren's impact on my life and mental state, but...that's me. It's who I am...afraid to jump off the deep end of the pool because I'm still afraid I'm going to get hurt. But at least I'm actually telling this to you instead of bottling it up inside of me like last time. _

_I hate that I can't bring myself to fully open my heart. All I ask is that you give me time and please be patient with me...and all we can hope for is that one day, I can tell you what you want to hear. _

_Yours,_

_Buffy_

* * *

Buffy unlocked the front door and walked inside, dropping her bag by the door and closing it behind her. When she turned around, William was sitting on the couch with his laptop resting on his lap.

"Hey," she greeted. "You look like you've had a busy day."

William smiled and closed his laptop before placing it on the coffee table. He stood up and walked closer towards her. "Hello," he greeted.

"What's up?"

"I read what you wrote in our journal," William began. "I did not reply because I wanted to give my reply in person, rather than writing for once."

"Oh...oh," she murmured, wondering if he was upset by what he had read. "Look, William, I'm sorry if-"

"Don't," he said. He then took a few steps closer and kissed her, part of him cheering inside that he could do such a romantic thing on a whim. "Do not apologize for what you feel, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered. "I just...I hate to think that I can't give you what you give me, and-"

"I love you," he said, cutting her off. "I love you, and I will love you regardless of how you may feel. I know you've been through a lot with Warren, and I know that part of you is afraid to give in entirely. I heard it last night before you left...that catch in your voice as you tried to force the words out. But I don't want them forced...I want you to say those words when you truly do feel it, when you can't _not_ say them any longer."

Buffy's heart melted inside and again, she thanked whoever from above who had brought this incredible man into her life.

"But _I'm_ going to say them, because I do love you, and I want to let you know that as often as possible," he continued. "I cannot say that I am alright with never hearing them back, but hopefully...perhaps one day I will."

Buffy leaned forward and kissed him, wrapping her arms around him tightly and wishing that she never had to let go. "Thank you, thank you so much," she whispered. How a man as wonderful as this could be so patient with a mix-up like herself truly meant the world to her. "You will...just give me time to get there, and one day..."

He kissed her nose before rubbing it with his own. "That is all I ask for."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and thought that maybe he wouldn't have to wait as long as he thought he might.

* * *

Dawn was getting ready to head to her room for the night when she turned around and looked at her sister and William. They were sitting together very closely watching television and trying to pretend that they weren't eager to see Dawn retire for the evening.

"Y'know," she started. "If you two want to sleep in the same bed at night, don't let me stop you."

Buffy and William's heads both shot towards her before Dawn could even blink, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at their same response.

"What are you talking about Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"Oh c'mon, I wasn't born yesterday," Dawn said. "And I'm not deaf. I could hear the hallway creaking as you two slipped back and forth down the hallway."

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "See? I told you, this girl is nothing but trouble," she told William. "Look Dawn, we're not-"

"No, I really don't mind," Dawn honestly spoke. "But if I ever hear _anything _coming from either of your rooms, you are going to have to pay for my psychological counseling for the next twenty years, okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Okay, you've got yourself a deal." She grinned when she realized that she would be able to sleep with William tonight. "And thanks."

"No problem," Dawn said. "I'm rootin' for you two," she added in all sincerity. She genuinely thought that William was _it _for Buffy - the one - and she hoped with all of her might that they would make it work. She had never seen her sister happier, even when she had been dating Warren before he had become abusive, and she had a feeling that William was _the _long haul guy.

"Thank you, Dawn," William said, sending her a thankful smile and slight nod, although his cheeks were slightly pink from hearing her sister speak so openly about their nightly habits.

"Good night, guys," Dawn said before opening her bedroom door and shutting it softly behind her.

"Good night," the two replied together.

There was a beat of silence before Buffy turned off the television and turned to look at William. He did the same and noticed that gleam in her eyes that meant she was intently thinking about something.

"Ready for bed?" she asked, looking at him with a sly expression on her face.

"God, yes," he answered.

Buffy walked back to her room to change for the evening while William did the same in his. He quickly brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his unruly locks before turning out the lights and walking back to Buffy's bedroom.

He pulled back the covers and crawled into bed, waiting for Buffy to come out of the bathroom.

A few seconds later she emerged wearing a short satin nightgown with lace on the bottom and top hem. William stared at her in both surprise and surprisingly, desire.

"Do you remember this?" Buffy asked, walking closer towards William before climbing in beside him.

William thought for a couple of seconds and then slowly nodded. "This is what you were wearing the morning we first met."

Buffy nodded. "Yep, and I wanted to see if you could handle it. It looks like you've come a long way from that first morning." She reached out and touched his cheeks, which were just barely tinted pink in embarrassment.

She leaned forward and kissed him, and, as usual, what had started out so gentle and innocent, quickly turned into something much more passionate and excited.

When they broke to take several deep breaths of air, William whispered, "Show me what else I can do to...for you."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat and she wasn't sure if she had heard him correctly. Was this really her shy, innocent poet who just a few weeks ago hadn't even been able to stand the sight of her bare legs. "What?" she breathlessly asked.

"I...I'm not ready for - for everything," he began. "But...I feel as if I should be more...I don't know, hands on?" At saying that he truly did turn red in embarrassment at the double entendre, but tried his best to continue speaking what he had thought about earlier in the afternoon and as if he were confident of himself. "Teach me what to do to...to please you."

Buffy sighed in happiness and closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. "William, you have no idea how many women would love to hear their boyfriend say that to them every night."

Buffy pushed him back on the bed and came closer to him. She thought about straddling his waist, but quickly dismissed that thought when she saw how nervous he already was. So she simply sat down beside him and smiled. She took his hands into hers and kissed the back of each one.

"So you want to be more hands on, huh?" She winked before squeezing his hands. "Well, here goes. Lesson the first..."

TBC...

* * *

Thank you all for waiting for the newest chapter! I'm sorry it took so long to get this out...the holiday and start of a new school, as well as some other things going on in life with family and career, have kept me from really sitting down to write and concentrate on this story. I guess part of it was my discouragement from the lack of reviews at the time, that I do remember as well.

Also, the story was nominated at a few other sites - THANK YOU to whoever nominated me:) I'm just so glad that readers go out and think about this story for awards. I really do appreciate it!

Anyway, I hope all of my readers are still with me and will continue to enjoy the story - yes, I plan to get back to some actual plot instead of fluff starting with the next chapter, and I would LOVE to hear what you have to say about this chapter. Hopefully you haven't forgotten too much about what's going on, right? ;) Leave some love!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

Monday afternoon, Willow, Anya, and Buffy were all sitting together at the front desk when the door opened and William walked in carrying lunch for all four of them.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted, as he set the plastic bags down on the desk. He leaned forward and met Buffy's lips in a quick greeting.

"Hey, there," Buffy said, smiling as well. "Thanks for bringing lunch for everyone again."

"No problem," William replied.

"What'd you bring us? I think I could eat just about anything." Willow said, reaching over to look inside the bags. She pulled out a wrapped-up sub and a bag of chips and quickly dug in.

"I just picked out a few sandwiches from the sub shop a few blocks away," he explained. "Buffy told me to pick up whatever looked good, so I hope you like it."

"Thank you, William," Anya said, reaching in the bag and pulling out the first sandwich she touched.

William left to grab a chair from the back room so he could sit with the three women out front. When he came back out carrying a chair, he placed it beside Buffy and sat down. He couldn't help but notice how she unconsciously leaned closer towards him once he was sitting next to her, and he couldn't help but smile because of it.

"How has everyone's day been so far?" He asked, taking the last sub for himself.

"Boring as hell," Anya flatly replied before taking a bite.

"Anya, it hasn't been that bad," Buffy replied. She sent an apologetic look towards William before taking a bite of her own sandwich. "It's just been a bit slow this morning."

"I don't even know why you called me in today," Anya continued to complain. "I mean, not that I don't love making money - I do. Making and counting money is just the best thing...well, the second best thing in life of course, but when we're just sitting around here doing nothing, it's just a waste of time."

"Well, I wanted all of us working together today so I could talk to you about my upcoming opening," Buffy said. "It's coming up pretty quickly, especially since I've finally set a date. I've decided to have the opening on January twenty-first."

Willow's face brightened and she smiled. "Oh, Buffy! And that's your birthday too!"

At hearing this, William perked up, having never heard Buffy's exact birth date or the fact that it was coming up so quickly. "Your birthday?"

Buffy nodded. "I figured what better present could I give myself than to have my opening on the same night?" She looked at William, wondering what he was thinking at that moment to make him look so worried.

William frowned and tried to hide his confusion by eating more of his sandwich. How on earth was he going to get something for her birthday in just two weeks? He had borrowed some money from Dawn for Buffy's Christmas gift, but how could he ask her for more money when he hadn't paid her back for his first loan? With no job or any available money for himself, what could he do to make her day special?

_I'll have to talk to Dawn when I return to the apartment_, he thought. Maybe there was a way to borrow a bit of money from her without raising any questions.

"Well, it's great that you've set a date," Willow said. "So, I'm guessing that you're about done with everything?"

Buffy nodded, smiling proudly. "All of the other artists are about finished as well, and I only have a couple paintings left to work on myself before we can actually start setting up the gallery."

"And then we can make lots of money," Anya stated excitedly.

"Yes, Anya, there will hopefully be plenty of money to be made and counted, which I will leave in your capable hands."

"I cannot wait to see the finished paintings," William told her softly. "I am sure that your opening night will be a success."

"Let's hope so," she said with a worried look on her face for a second. "Oh, and that was something else I wanted to talk to you all about too. I've decided to have a theme on opening night."

"Theme?" Willow asked.

She nodded and quickly explained to her best friend what this series of paintings was about since Willow was the only one in the room that hadn't seen any of her paintings yet. "So, I've decided to go all out and decorate this place like the late 1800s, and that includes costumes for all of us for the evening."

"Costumes?" Anya repeated. "You mean, like...frilly, long dresses and all?"

Buffy nodded and looked over at William with a smile on her face. "Yes, we'll be going all out for the night and my goal is to have us authentically dressed for the occasion."

William smiled back at her and let his mind drift, trying to think of what Buffy would look like in the attire of his era. Although he was now accustomed to seeing the tight-fitting, revealing clothing of the 21st century, there was still _something_ about seeing a lady dressed in the elegant evening-wear of his time. He imagined her dressed in a flowing dress and suddenly the twenty-first couldn't get here soon enough.

"It sounds like a lovely idea," he said.

"Oh yeah? Well, you aren't going to be the one wearing some frilly costume all night long," Anya replied.

"There will be minimal frills, I promise, Anya," Buffy replied. "I'm just so excited about this opening, I really want to go all out and have a ball with it."

"Well, I for one am excited," Willow said. "Do you know where we're going to be able to find dresses for the night? Or what they should even look like?"

Buffy eyed him out of the corner of her eyes. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I can easily come up with what the dresses looked like back then. I'll look around for either a vintage clothing store or someone who can make some alterations on dresses that are a close match."

"I think it'll be a really fun evening," Willow said. "And maybe we can celebrate your birthday after the opening?"

"We'll see," she said vaguely. Truthfully, she was hoping that the rest of her birthday would be spent with William, and William alone. "Actually, I haven't really gotten that far in my plans yet."

Anya, who had been silent for the last few minutes, finally spoke up again. "Okay, I won't complain anymore on one condition."

"And what's that, Anya?"

"No. Corsets."

* * *

William arrived back at the apartment two hours later after privately talked to Buffy about what their dresses should generally look like, among other things. Truthfully, there hadn't been very much talking after she shut the door of her office, but William still told himself that.

"Hey," Dawn said, coming out of her bedroom. "How was lunch with Buffy?"

"Wonderful," he replied, sitting down on the couch. "It's always wonderful."

Dawn sat down beside him and shook her head. "Man, you have it _so _bad."

"Have what?"

"Yeah, the hots for my sister," she answered. "But, I'm sure you are well aware of that."

Not wanting to discuss his affection for her sister, William quickly changed the topic. "We discussed her upcoming opening at the gallery over lunch with Willow and Anya."

"Oh really? Yeah, I heard her talking about it, but she won't tell me what it is," Dawn said. "But, I'm sure she told you, right?"

William nodded. "Yes, and I have seen a few of her pieces. It is going to be a wonderful opening." He paused, thinking this was the best time of any to ask about Buffy's birthday. "She also decided that the opening date would be the twenty-first."

"Oh, her birthday," Dawn said. "Gosh, it's coming up that soon, huh? I'll have to think of something to get her."

"She, uh, actually had never spoken of her birthday with me before," William admitted. "Well, of course she has spoken of past birthdays, but she had not told me the exact date until now."

Dawn looked somewhat surprised by that, but then shook it off and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sure she would have let you know in plenty of time to get her a present," she teased. "You know Buffy, she loves getting pretty things on her day."

William slightly shrugged and slumped into the couch. "Well, therein lies my problem," he started. "I haven't the slightest idea of what to give her."

"Y'know, just get her things that women like," Dawn said.

"But..." William's voice died off and he wondered how much he should say without risking any suspicion from Dawn. "I do not know what to give women for their birthday." After all, the only women in his life up until a month ago were his mother and sister. Not to mention that gifts in 1882 were much different than they are now.

Dawn's brow furrowed as she looked at him. How could he not know what to give a woman for her birthday? And not just any woman, but his girlfriend? Sure, some guys weren't very creative, but they usually had some idea of what to get.

"And that leads me to my next problem," William continued, "which is how to pay for whatever I give her."

Now Dawn was really confused. "You mean...wait, you still don't have any money with you?" William shook his head. "How can you not have any money with you still?"

William shrugged, now regretting that he had decided to mention any of this with Dawn. "I..."

"I can understand not having all of your finances set up when you first got here, but it's been almost a month since you started staying with us," Dawn said. She couldn't help but feel suspicious towards this man who was quickly becoming like a brother to her. Could it be that everything he had said and done was a lie? Was he really like Warren, out to hurt her sister in the end?

"Dawn, you must understand that there are things that I cannot tell you," William tried again.

"Oh, like how you've been living with us for a month and you don't have a job? Or a driver's license? Or any of your own clothing?" Dawn sat up, anger and accusation written clearly on her face. "How you had to ask to borrow money for Christmas and now her birthday because you don't have _any _of your own?"

"Dawn, I-"

"No, no William. I just don't get it." She stood from the couch and started walking towards her room. "It's just like you're some type of freeloader, just living off of my sister's money, support, everything, and that's just...wow, that's now what I thought you were like at all."

"And I am not like that," he said. "I just...I can't tell you why I do not have all of my personal affects with me, but-"

"Then it's probably for the best that you don't tell me anything at all," Dawn said. "At least not until I've calmed down a bit."

William lowered his eyes from hers, giving up the battle to defend himself. _Just like I always do_, he thought regretfully. "Alright."

Dawn was about to close her door when William asked, "Are we still friends?"

Dawn turned around and slightly nodded. "Of course we're still friends, William. I just...I don't get you all of the time, and now - now I'm not so sure that you really are who I thought you were, that you're the guy meant for my sister." And with that, she closed her bedroom door behind her.

* * *

At 7:30, Buffy came back home. She opened the door and smiled when she saw William sitting on the couch with his laptop in front of him. She couldn't help but notice how addicted he was becoming to that computer.

"Hey, you," she greeted when she had closed the door and taken off her coat. "How are you?"

"Fine, and yourself?"

Buffy walked over and sat beside him, leaning over and gently pressing her lips to his. "Great, now," she said once she had pulled away. She looked at him for a beat more and noticed the solemn expression on his face. "What's wrong?"

William closed his laptop and set it on the coffee table. "I had a talk with Dawn this afternoon when I came back here."

Buffy could tell that this was going to be a serious discussion, so she sat back and looked at him with all seriousness. "Okay, what about?"

"Well, I was asking her about your birthday...what to get you, how I had no idea when your birthday actually was-"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you beforehand," Buffy said, "so if that's what this whole thing is about, I'll just apologize and let Dawn know that-"

"No." William's voice was stern - _a first coming from him_, Buffy thought - and suddenly she knew that it was much more than just being uninformed about her birth date. "No, it wasn't that," he added much softer.

"Then what is this about?" When William didn't answer, Buffy's heartbeat jumped and she sat up straighter. "William, you're worrying me."

"I think we should tell Dawn," He finally spoke, avoiding looking at her eyes as he spoke.

"Tell her?"

"Tell her where I came from," he clarified. "_When_ I came from, in point of fact."

At hearing this, Buffy quickly shook her head. "No, no. We are definitely _not_ telling Dawn anything like that about you."

"And why not?"

"She'll think we're crazy!" Buffy said. "She'll think that I've gone off the deep end and that you're clearly insane."

"Not if we prove it to her."

"With what? How?" she stood up and paced back and forth a few times. "What, we'll just shove her into the bottom drawer of the desk and let her pop out in 1882?"

William rolled his eyes at her sarcastic suggestion. "No, but we could show her our journal, let me talk to her about my life."

"No, out of the question."

"But she's beginning to question certain things about me," William said. "She doesn't understand why I do not have any funds, why I don't and can't drive, why I don't understand women and how to act around you most of the time."

"Who cares what she thinks?" Buffy asked. With every other word she could hear her voice rising, her anger rising as well, and her rationality beginning to slip away. She was clearly upset by this turn of events, what was beginning to look like her first argument with William. She had been planning to come home to a nice evening with her boyfriend, maybe out for a late dinner and then back home for some more fun once Dawn had gone to bed for the night. Instead, it was beginning to look like none of that would be happening - not this night, anyway.

"_I _do!" He exclaimed. "Believe it or not, your sister means a great deal to me, and her opinion of me is also important. I do not want her misunderstanding my intentions towards you."

"Oh, right. But naturally she'll understand that the reason for all of that is because you were actually born in 1856," Buffy sarcastically answered.

"I just don't want her thinking that I am simply another Warren here to give you heart ache," he replied defensively.

"Funny, that seems to be what I'm feeling right about now," Buffy replied.

"Buffy, what is the problem here?" he asked. "Honestly, what is the real reason that you do not want me telling Dawn the truth?"

"I don't know, I just don't know," she said, shaking her head back and forth as she spoke. Finally, she stopped her movement and looked at him with a mixture of anger and Distress. "But fine. Fine! Go ahead and tell her whatever the hell you want. Oh, I'm _sure_ she'll take it well, she probably won't even bat an eye when you tell her that you traveled through time, over 100 years, with our _magical _desk and with our _enchanted _journal to end up here to be with me. Of, I'm sure it's exactly what she's expecting to hear, William."

William sat at the edge of the couch and looked at her with a stern expression on his face - an expression she had never seen on his beautiful features before. "Could we possibly attempt to _stay away_ from resorting to sarcasm every time that you do not want to directly answer my questions?"

"I can answer any way I damn well please to, so don't you even try to actually start growing a backbone right now and tell me otherwise," Buffy said, the words rushing out of her mouth before she could think about what she was saying.

William blinked, closed his mouth, and sat back, having never expected to hear something like that pass through her lips.

_Don't you even try to actually start growing a backbone right now, don't you even try to start growing a backbone_...

Her words echoed in his head and William felt his heart lurch at her harsh tone. Was this what she truly thought of him? "Enough," he softly replied. William leaned over and unplugged the adaptor for his laptop from the wall. He gathered everything together and started heading towards his room. "It appears that sarcasm has won this fight after all."

"William, I-"

"Good night, Buffy." And with that, he softly, yet firmly, closed the door behind him.

* * *

Dawn rolled over in bed and tried to shut out the loud sounds coming from the living room. Although she couldn't really make out the words that were coming from either of them, she knew a fight when she heard one.

_Just like Mom and Daddy_, Dawn thought with regret.

But this was Buffy and William, and they weren't supposed to fight - ever. They were the lovely-dovey, puppy-dog-eyes, I-want-to-throw-up-because-they-are-so-sickeningly-sweet, type of couple, and they just weren't supposed to fight - that was that. And although the sight of her sister sucking face with someone who was quickly becoming like a brother to her totally grossed her out, Dawn would prefer to watch them make out than hear them fight.

Their voices quieted down and she listened carefully as she heard the door to the guest room quickly shut. Several long seconds later, the floorboards outside of her doorway squeak and the sound of Buffy's bedroom door closed a few seconds after that.

_Uh oh, not good_, Dawn thought. If they were actually going to spend the night away from each other, it must have been a pretty intense fight.

And Dawn suddenly hoped that it wasn't about her, about what she had said to William earlier in the afternoon. Although she did have her suspicions, if what she had said was what caused this fight, Dawn would never forgive herself if it actually caused a break in their relationship.

As she shut her eyes, Dawn just hoped that everything could be worked out and there wouldn't be anymore fights between her favorite couple.

* * *

TBC...

Uh oh! Trouble for our couple...? Hehe. :P

And can I just say WOW! Thank you all for the reviews for the last chapter! Well, I asked for reviews and I most certainly got them - you all totally went beyond my hopes! They all really brightened up my day when I read through them all - it means so much to me that you all are enjoying my little story so much. THANK YOU!

So, I guess all I have to say this time is keep it up! Hehe, I'm sorry the ending of the last chapter was such a tease, but maybe I'll make it all up to you before the end of the story!


	26. Chapter 26

So...it's been a while, to say the least. Since I posted the last chapter to this story (and god knows how long ago that was!) my life has just become increasingly busy. I work 20+ hours a week, am a full time student, and I will admit that my interests have turned elsewhere (OMG I could talk Supernatural all day long now)!

But I REALLY didn't want to leave you guys - and especially my dedicated readers - hanging (and thank you, each one of you guys, for the e-mails that just won't stop coming asking me about this story!). So...I DO plan to finish this story, as long as you guys can stick with me and understand that it's just not my top priority anymore.

I actually have had the epilogue written for MANY MONTHS, I just have to get us there. And very slowly, I am making my way to the end of this story. I do hope you all continue to read and know that I won't let this one die.

So here we go...and you might have to reread the entire story, but I do hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 26:

Buffy woke up the next morning with a heavy sense of dread in her heart.

How could she have said what she did to William last night? Was that what she really about him? Did she really think that underneath everything, that he was spineless? Sure, he had his unsure and timid moments, but that was to be expected with all of the changes he had to adjust to so quickly.

She lay in bed, dreading leaving the sanctuary of her own bedroom. She could hear Dawn and William in the kitchen together and knew that if she didn't get up, there was a possibility that one of them might come looking for her. Knowing her luck, it would be Dawn, and that was another conversation she didn't want to have.

Having thought of that, Buffy finally rose from bed and began to get ready for the day.

* * *

Dawn sat at the table, slowly nursing a glass of orange juice as William moved about the kitchen getting a simple breakfast of toast and eggs ready for the three of them. She looked down the hallway and saw that Buffy's door was still closed and the lights were off. If she didn't come out soon, Dawn was going to go get her and demand an explanation for last night.

"So..." she slowly started. "I was reading in my room last night and heard some..."

"Fighting?" William finished for her, a mixture of annoyance and sadness evident in his tone. "Yes, unfortunately, you were not imagining that."

Dawn looked at him, and for the first time that morning, realized how tired and worn out he looked. "You look terrible. Did you get any sleep last night?"

William silently shook his head "no" and turned back towards the stove.

"I'm sorry, William. God, I'm so sorry," she muttered, looking down at her hands in shame.

William turned around and looked at her with confusion. "What on earth do you have to be sorry about, Dawn?"

She looked up at him with tears welling in her eyes. "It's my fault, isn't it? The fight? If I hadn't said what I did to you yesterday afternoon, then-"

"Dawn," William interrupted. He took the pan off of the burner so he could concentrate solely on her. He walked over and sat across from her at the table. "Dawn, you were perfectly right to voice your concerns yesterday. No, I do not have any money with me; no, I do not know how to drive; and no, I do not have any experience with women. But the argument last night with your sister had nothing to do with what you said, because everything you spoke of was just reminding me of the truth."

"I'm still sorry that I sounded so angry and accusing," she responded, lowering her eyes again. "It's just that after her last boyfriend, I'm trying to look out for my sister, and certain things about you don't add up. I can't help but get a bit suspicious about where you're coming from with all of this."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, nibblet," William replied with an affectionate smile.

Dawn's nose wrinkled and she smiled at hearing the new nickname. "What did you just call me?"

His smile grew and he knew that he had been right in calling her by his sister's nickname. He couldn't help but call her that at seeing her torn expression, and had hoped that it would cheer her up. Luckily, it looked like it had worked. "Just a nickname I used to call my sister when she was younger."

"Emily-Grace?" Dawn asked, remembering when he had spoken of her when they had first met. "You must miss her, both her and your mother."

William looked away from a second and nodded. "You have no idea," he finally replied. "I miss them everyday."

"Then why not just take a plane home for the weekend and visit them more often?" Dawn asked, clearly confused by something she must be missing out on.

"Because it's a bit more complicated than that, Dawn," Buffy's voice replied from the doorway.

Both William and Dawn turned to look at her and Buffy weakly smiled in their direction. She still couldn't bring herself to look at William, so instead she settled for looking at Dawn. "Dawn, can I talk to William alone, please?"

Dawn slightly nodded. "Sure thing. Let me just grab some food while it's hot and I'll just eat it in my room."

After filling her plate with eggs and toast, Dawn headed to her room after promising Buffy that she would not spill it all over the floor.

"Good morning," Buffy softly greeted, walking to the seat that Dawn had been sitting in before.

"Morning," he replied.

"Didn't get much sleep, did you?" she finally asked. At William's silence, Buffy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, same here," she whispered.

"I missed...I missed having you there with me," William finally spoke. "I...yes, well, I had just become accustomed to - to being with you. Especially after the other night when we..." He cleared his throat before finishing his sentence, "well, let's just say that it was difficult to sleep without having some one to hold."

Buffy frowned at his nervous stutter, wondering if her harsh words had set them back in their relationship. "Same here," she softly agreed.

Several long minutes of silence passed before William finally spoke up. "Did you really mean what you said last night?"

"William, I am so-"

"Did you mean it?" he repeated, looking at her with a stern expression. He wanted to know that above anything else. "That's all I want to know."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so...but, then again, why would I have said it if some part of me inside didn't think it?"

"You tell me," he replied.

"I know that our relationship is unlike one that I have ever had before-"

"Which couldn't possibly be because I was born in 1856, now could it?" William couldn't help but remark.

"Look who's resorting to sarcasm now, huh?" Buffy asked with a teasing smile on her face.

"Sorry," he answered, looking away from her for fear that if he did stare too long, he wouldn't know what to say anymore.

"No, never be sorry for talking back to me," she said, "for sticking up for yourself."

William paused, wondering how to take in what she say saying. "So you do think I lack a backbone, as you put it last night?"

"No, no I don't. I think that I'm not used to having a man who isn't the overbearing, domineering, leader in the relationship," Buffy explained. "I'm used to the guy planning things, initiating any form of romance, and you know...being the leader when it comes to things done in the bedroom."

"And it is the complete opposite with us," William stated, thinking he was starting to understand where she was coming from.

"Yes," she acknowledged. "Yes, exactly. I'm not used to having to be the leader here. I mean, I barely know anything about intimacy, especially after Warren, but here we are, learning together and teaching each other...and I think that's how it's supposed to be actually. The only thing is, is that I'm just not used to it."

"So, you panicked then?" William asked.

Buffy nodded and looked away, blinking back tears at the thought that what she had said last night might ultimately ruin their relationship. "I just have this tendency to say things without really thinking...foot in mouth, and all things like that. I'm so sorry, William," she whispered before lowering her head to the table.

"I am too," he replied, reaching out to take her hands into his. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard last night. If you don't want to tell Dawn yet, then-"

"No," she interrupted, "no. I thought over what you were saying last night, and - and I think it's for the best that we do tell her, that way she'll finally understand everything that's been going on. It's not fair to force you to hide so much from her."

William smiled briefly. "Really?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, really. I mean, if you're going to be a permanent addition to our family, then I think that it's fair that she knows the truth about you and how our relationship really started out."

"Thank you," he answered.

"I know how much it means to you to have honesty with Dawn," Buffy said. "Dawn? Can you come in here?"

Dawn walked out with her plate and fork in hand. "I didn't do it, I swear," the quickly said, looking at her sister and William with worry clear on her face.

"No, everything is fine," Buffy said. "C'mon, come sit with us."

Dawn sat down in the chair beside Buffy and quickly glanced at William. "What's up?"

"We...William and I, had a bit of a fight last night which I'm sure you're well aware of," Buffy started. "And although it was not because of you, what you said to William yesterday afternoon did have something to do with what started our argument." She looked at William, silently urging him with her eyes to continue since it was his story to tell.

"You see, Dawn, there really are explanations on why I do not have any personal belongings with me and why I am sometimes looking at things as if it were the first time I had ever seen them," William began to explain.

"Okay, I'm listening," Dawn said, genuinely curious about what William's reasons were.

"You see...these things that I view with such genuine curiosity, the reason for that is because I _am_ looking at them for the first time," William said.

Dawn's brow furrowed and she looked towards Buffy for any sign of clarification. "I don't think I get it."

"Ask him when he was born," Buffy suggested.

"Alright then, when were you born, William?"

"I was born on June 4, 1856," he stated.

Dawn's expression was confused and disbelieving, wondering if she had heard those last four numbers wrong. "Wha-what?" She looked back and forth between her sister and William. "I don't think I understand."

"Dawn, I don't know how to tell this to you, other than coming out and saying it very plainly," William said. "I began writing to Buffy back in the beginning of September-"

"I know, she told me," Dawn said. "She said that you two were pen pals."

"But we were not writing letters through the daily mail," he continued on. "On the same day that I purchased my desk at a store in London, Buffy did the same thing at her garage sale. Later in that week, we discovered that we could write to each other through a journal that we kept in the bottom drawer of the desk."

Buffy rose and walked back to her bedroom. A few seconds later she walked back out with their first black journal in her hand. "Here, look for yourself," she said, handing the journal to Dawn.

Dawn flipped to the first page she touched and began reading. After flipping past a few more pages, she looked back up at the two. "So, you're telling me here that William really _is_ a proper gentleman, and he is actually from the 1800's?"

William nodded. "And that is the truth. It's why I have no money or personal affects with me. It's why I barely know anything about women, because I was born and raised in a society where gentlemen are not as up front with women as we are today."

"Wow," Dawn whispered. "Wow. Buffy, you really know how to pick 'em, don't you? I mean, we all wanted someone better for you than Warren, but you had to look in 1882 to find the right guy."

"I like to think that the right guy found me," Buffy said, winking at William and taking his hand into hers.

"Does anyone else know?"

"I think that Anya and Willow suspect that something is different about William, but they don't know exactly what," Buffy explained. "But it doesn't matter. If it does come out, it does."

"I've been thinking on the subject for a while now, and I just thought that you deserved to know," William said. "You mean a lot to me, Dawn. You remind me very much of my own sister, and I don't want any secrets to get in the way of our friendship."

Dawn smiled. "It means a lot to me that you guys would even think of me regarding this."

"We're sorry if we frightened you with our fight last night," Buffy added, knowing how much they had both disliked the heated fights between their mother and father. "I...I thought you might freak out or something, I don't know. And I guess...I guess some small part of me just didn't want to let anyone else in on our little secret."

"Well, I can't deny that it's shocking. You're really from 1882?" At William's nod of agreement, Dawn quickly shook her head in disbelief. "So, tell me everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. No more secrets, tell me everything there is to know about you and your life. Start from the very beginning."

William looked at Buffy and at her slight nod to tell him to proceed, William took a breath and began to tell her everything he might have left out in their several weeks of friendship.

* * *

Much later that evening, after Dawn had left to spend the night with Janice with a strict promise to not gossip about everything she had just learned in the last hour, Buffy and William decided to head to the Bronze for an evening of relaxing fun.

"That didn't go as badly as we all thought it would, huh?" Buffy asked. She wrapped her arms around him and began to lead him to the dance floor, intent on showing him how people of 2005 customarily danced together. "I'm sorry I freaked out so much about it last night. I know how close you two are, so I should have just trusted you to begin with."

William shrugged and leaned down to kiss her. "It's okay," he said. "I imagine that every couple has their first fight, right?"

"Let's hope it's our only one," Buffy said. She turned around and took his hands into hers, placing them around her waist and bracing herself against his chest.

"Somehow, I don't foresee too many arguments in our future together," William replied. He bent down and kissed her neck, taking a deep breath and trying to control everything he felt within him at the feel of her pressed so tightly against him. "God, what are you doing to me?"

"Dancing," she simply replied, giving him a small smile and slowly swaying back and forth to the beat of the music.

"I don't think I am...too familiar with this form of dancing," he said into her ear.

"Just follow my lead, okay?" She pressed a kiss on the side of his face and went back to dancing. "Trust me; you don't have to do too much."

Buffy closed her eyes and leaned against him, gently moving back and forth regardless of the faster pace of the music beating around them.

She remembered when she had done this with Xander one night on this very same dance floor so many years ago. It seemed like a completely different world during the school year when she had been on-and-off-dating the senior football quarterback, Liam O'Connor, and had decided to make everyone in the club jealous of her.

Buffy had dragged a very surprised Xander onto the dance floor and had proceeded to try every move in the book of seduction that she had known at the naive age of sixteen. Now, almost ten years later, she was trying to do the same thing, only this time it was for real - no jealousy involved whatsoever, just the desire to dance with the man she loved.

Buffy turned back around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her entire body against his, smiling when she saw him clench his jaw in concentration. She loved watching William when they were close together like this. Whether it be kissing, touching, or even hugging, she just loved watching his reactions to all of the new sensations she was showing him and how with each passing embrace he relaxed just a bit more.

"Having fun?" Buffy asked breathlessly.

William's eyes slowly fluttered open and he looked down at her with a somewhat dazed look on his face. "Definitely."

"Good!" She pressed a kiss on the corner of his mouth and went back to giving him a crash course of dancing at the Bronze. "Think you can handle dancing here like this? Like how we do in 2005?"

William responded by holding her body still and pressing his hips against hers. "I think that, with practice, I will quickly pick up on everything there is to know." He kissed her once more, this time long and intoxicating, before slowly moving to the beat that she had been following as well.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. William could tell how much she enjoyed having him take over from the look of excitement on her face.

"How was that?"

"Not bad," she answered cheerfully.

And with his arms wrapped tightly around her, and her fingers weaving a path through his hair, the couple danced the night away.

* * *

TBC

Taa daaa! Sexy Wuffy dancing! It doesn't get much better than that!

So please leave me a review of what you thought - I'm very curious since it's been such a long time.

Thank you and I will aim for another chapter soon!


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